Class 9 Geography Chapter 3 Extra Questions and Answers Drainage

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Class 9 Geography Chapter 3 Extra Questions and Answers Drainage

Drainage Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 3 Very Short Answers Type

Question 1.
The Indian rivers are divided into two major groups. Name them.
Answer:

  • The Himalayan rivers
  • The Peninsular rivers

Extra Questions and Answers Drainage

Question 2.
Which are the two major Himalayan rivers?
Answer:
The two major Himalayan rivers are the Indus and the Brahmaputra.

Very Short Questions and Answers Drainage

Question 3.
Where do the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate from?
Answer:
These rivers originate from the north of the mountain ranges.

Question 4.
Give one feature of the Himalayan rivers.
Answer:
Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial which means that they have water throughout the year.

Question 5.
What do you mean by a river system?
Answer:
A river along with its tributaries is called a river system.

Question 6.
Name the tributaries that join the river Indus in the Kashmir region.
Answer:
The Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza.

Question 7.
What is the total length of the river Indus?
Answer:
The total length of the river Indus is 2900 km.

Question 8.
Name the Indian states in which the Indus basin is located.
Answer:
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the Punjab.

Question 9.
In which country is the major portion of the Indus lying?
Answer:
The major portion of the Indus is lying in Pakistan.

Question 10.
What is the Indus Water Treaty?
Answer:
The Indus Water Treaty took place in the year 1960. According to its regulations, India can use only 20 percent of the total water carried by Indus river system.

Question 11.
Name any two tributaries of the river Ganga.
Answer:

  • The Yamuna, and
  • The Ghaghara

Question 12.
Where does the Yamuna meet the Ganga?
Answer:
The Yamuna meets the Ganga at Allahabad.

Question 13.
What is the length of the river Ganga?
Answer:
The length of the river Ganga is over 2500 km.

Question 14.
Which drainage pattern is formed by the Ganga?
Answer:
The river Ganga forms dendrites pattern, which resembles the shape of a tree and is the most common pattern on the earth’s surface.

Question 15.
Ambala is located on the water divide between which two river systems?
Answer:
These two river systems are—the Indus and the Ganga river systems.

Question 16.
Where does the river Brahmaputra has its origin?
Answer:
The Brahmaputra has its origin in Tibet east of Mansarovar lake.

Question 17.
What is the Brahmaputra called in Arunachal Pradesh?
Answer:
In Arunachal Pradesh the Brahmaputra is called the Dihang.

Question 18.
What is the Bramaputra known as in Tibet and Bangladesh?
Answer:
The Brahmaputra is known as the Tsang Po in Tibet and the Jamuna in Bangladesh.

Question 19.
Name the world’s largest riverine island formed by the Brahmaputra.
Answer:
It is Majoli.

Question 20.
Name any two Peninsular rivers.
Answer:

  • The Mahanadi, and
  • The Godavari

Question 21.
Name two west-flowing rivers that make estuaries.
Answer:

  • The Narmada and
  • The Tapi

Question 22.
Which two states of India are covered by the Narmada basin?
Answer:
The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Question 23.
The Godavari is joined by many tributaries. Name them.
Answer:
The Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.

Question 24.
What is known as the Dakshin Ganga?
Answer:
The three tributaries of the Godavari namely the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga are very large. Because of its length and the area it covers, it is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’.

Question 25.
Name the Tributaries of the river Krishna.
Answer:
The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima.

Question 26.
What is known as the Sivasamudram?
Answer:
The waterfall made by the river Kaveri is known as Sivasamudram.

Question 27.
Which is the world’s largest and fastest growing delta? Mention one feature of this delta.
Answer:
The Sundarban Delta is the world’s largest and fastest growing delta. It is the home of Royal Bengal tiger.

Question 28.
The drainage basin of which river is the largest among the peninsular rivers?
Answer:
The drainage basin of the river Godavari is the largest among the peninsular rivers.

Question 29.
Name some smaller peninsular rivers that flow towards the east.
Answer:
The Damoder, the Brahmani, the Baitami and the Subarnrekha.

Question 30.
The water of which lake is used for producing salt? Where is it located?
Answer:
The water of the Sambhar lake is used for producing salt. It is located in Rajasthan.

Question 31.
Name some freshwater lakes located.
Answer:
The Dal Lake, Bhimtal, Nainitial, Loktak and Barapan

Question 32.
Where is the Loktak lake located?
Answer:
The Loktak located in Manipur.

Question 33.
Name some lagoons that are found in the coastal areas.
Answer:
The Chilika lake, the Pulicat lake and the Kolleru lake.

Question 34.
Where does the river Mahanadi have its origin?
Answer:
The river Mahanadi has its origin in the highlands of Chhattisgrah.

Question 35.
Which river causes widespread devastation due to flood in Assam?
Answer:
It is the river Brahmaputra.

Question 36.
Why are the coastal rivers of the Indian peninsula short?
Answer:
The coastal plains between Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea are vary narrow. Hence, the coastal rivers are short.

Question 37.
Name the two main right bank tributaries of the Ganga.
Answer:
The Yamuna and the Son.

Question 38.
What is the source of the river Yamuna?
Answer:
The source of the river Yamuna is Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas.

Question 39.
Where does the river Godavari originate from?
Answer:
The river Godavarti originates from the Nasik district of Maharashtra.

Question 40.
Which lake has been formed due to tectonic activities?
Answer:
The Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir has been formed due to tectonic activities.

Question 41.
What is the area drained by a single river system called?
Answer:
It is called drainage basin.

Question 42.
Which type of drainage pattern does a river develop on a strongly jointed rocky terrain?
Answer:
A river develops a rectangular drainage pattern on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.

Question 43.
Which type of drainage pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central peak or dome like structure?
Answer:
The radial drainage pattern develops.

Drainage Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 3 Short Answers Type

Question 1.
Why are the Peninsular rivers seasonal in nature?
Answer:

  • The Peninsular rivers are seasonal in nature because their flow is highly dependent on rainfall unlike the Himalayan rivers which are perennial.
  • Most of the peninsular rivers flow through the plateaus and low hills devoid of snow.
  • The peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to the Himalayan rivers. Such rivers fail to contain water for longer periods. When it rains good, they have ample water but when it is dry season, even the large rivers have reduced flow of water in their channels.

Question 2.
Give the features of the Himalayan rivers.
Or
Mention the features made by the Himalayan rivers with the help of a diagram.
Answer:

  • Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial. It means that they have water throughout the year.
  • The Himalayan rivers have long courses from their source to the sea. They perform intensive erosional activity in their upper courses and carry huge loads of silt and sand.
  • In the middle and lower courses, these rivers form meanders, Ox-bow lakes and many other depositional features in their floodplain. They also have well-developed deltas.

Question 3.
Give some of the similarities between the Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers.
Answer:
Although the Himalayan rivers differ from the Peninsular rivers in many ways, they have some similarities too:

  • Both the river systems have their large drainage basins.
  • Both make deltas at their mouths.
  • The rivers of both the regions are joined by many tributaries as a result of which the main river gets ample water and silt.

Question 4.
Describe the following drainage patterns of streams:
(i) Radial
(ii) Dendrite
(iii) Trellis
(iv) Rectangular
Answer:
The streams within a drainage basin form certain patterns, depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure as well as the climatic conditions of the area. These are dendritic, trellis, radial and rectangular.
(i) Radial: The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central peak or dome like structure.

(ii) Dendritic: The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the slope of the terrain. The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.

(iii) Trellis: A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other. A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a trellis pattern.

(iv) Rectangular: A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.

Question 5.
Which three river systems form the Himalayan river system? Describe briefly any one of them.
Answer:
The three river systems that form the Himalayan river system are:

  • The Indus river system
  • The Ganga river system
  • The Brahmaputra river system

The Brahmaputra rises in the Tibet, east of Mansarovar lake very close to the sources of the Indus and the Satluj. Most of its course lies outside India. It flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas. It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge. Here, it is joined by several tributaries such as the Dibang, the Lohit to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

In Indian part, the river passes through a region of high rainfall and therefore it carries a large volume of water and silt. It has a branded channel in its entire length in Assam and forms many riverine islands. Every year during the rainy season, the river overflows its banks, causing widespread devastation due to floods in Assam and Bangladesh.

Question 6.
Where does river Brahmaputra rise? Where does it enter into India? Name two of its tributaries.
Answer:

  • River Brahmaputra rises in Tibet, east of Mansarovar lake very close to the sources of the Indus and the Satluj.
  • It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge.
  • Two of its tributaries are—The Dibang and the Lohit.

Question 7.
What is the difference between tributary and distributary? Write any three points of distinction.
Answer:
(i) A tributary and a distributary are both bodies of freshwater that eventually meet with or diverge from rivers, but they differ in the direction that they flow.

(ii) A tributary is a stream that flows into larger river. A distributary is a stream that splits off from a larger river and flows in different direction.

(iii) A tributary increases the volume of water of the main river whereas a distributary decreases the volume of water of the main river. Example: the Yamuna is the tributary of the Ganga. Whereas the Hooghly is the distributary of the Ganga.

Question 8.
Describe three important characteristics of Sundarban Delta.
Answer:

  • It is the world’s largest and fastest growing delta.
  • It is also the home of Royal Bengal tigers.
  • Sunderban Delta derived its name from the Sundari tree which grows well in marshland.

Question 9.
Describe the three main features of Narmada basin.
Answer:
The Narmada is an important peninsular river that rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
Three of its main features are:

  • It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting. On its way to the sea, the Narmada creates many picturesque locations.
  • All the tributaries of the Narmada are very short and most of these join the main stream at right angles.
  • The Narmada basin extends over states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It is bounded by the Vindhyas on the north, by the Maikala range on the east, by the Satpuras on the south and by the Arabian Sea on the west.

Question 10.
Define drainage basin and describe two patterns of drainage in India.
Answer:
The area drained by a single river system is called a drainage basin.
The streams within a drainage basin form certain patterns, depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure as well as the climatic conditions of the area. These are dendritic, trellis, radial and rectangular.

  • Radial: The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central peak or dome like structure.
  • Dendritic: The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the slope of the terrain. The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.
  • Trellis: A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other. A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a trellis pattern.
  • Rectangular: A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.

Question 11.
Where does river Narmada originate? Name any two picturesque locations formed by it.
Answer:
The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh. It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting. The ‘Marble rocks’ near Jabalpur where the Narmada flows through a deep gorge, and the ‘Dhuadhar falls’ where the river plunges over steep rocks, are some of notable picturesque locations.

Question 12.
Where does the river Indus rise from? What is its length? Write any two tributaries of river Indus.
Answer:

  • The rivers Indus rises in Tibet, near lake Mansarovar, flowing west, it enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The total length of the rivers is 2900 km.
  • Two tributaries of the Indus are – the Zaskar and the Nubra.

Question 13.
Where does the river Tapi originate? Write its main features.
Answer:
The Tapi is one the major peninsular rivers which rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. The main features of this river basin are given below:

  • It flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but it is much shorter in length. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
  • It has two well-defined physical regions, i.e., the hilly regions and the plains. The hilly regions are well forested while the plains are broad and fertile areas suitable for cultivation.

Question 14.
Describe important features of the Mahanadi basin. Give three factual information about the Mahanadi basin.
Answer:

  • The Mahanadi is one of the major peninsular rivers which rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh.
  • It flows through Odisha to reach the Bay of Bengal. The total length of the river is about 860 km.
  • Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha.

Question 15.
Where does the river Kaveri originate? What is its total length? Name its main tributaries.
Or
Describe important features of the Kaveri basin.
Answer:

  • The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats and it reaches the Bay of Bengal in south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu.
  • The total length of the river is about 760 km.
  • The main tributaries of this river are—Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini. It basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Question 16.
Describe important features of the Krishna basin.
Answer:

  • The Krishna is an important peninsular river. It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar and flows for about 1400 km and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
  • The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima are some of its tributaries.
  • Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Question 17.
Which two peninsular rivers form estuaries? Name the states in which these rivers drain the water.
Answer:

  • The two peninsular rivers that form estuaries are the Narmada and the Tapi.
  • The Narmada drains into Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
  • The Tapi drains into Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Question 18.
Why do the Himalayan rivers get flooded every year? Mention the main advantages of these rivers.
Answer:
The Himalayan rivers are perennial having water throughout the year. These rivers receive water from melted snow from the lofty mountains. They also receive abundant water from rainfall during the rainy season. So, they get flooded every year. The Himalayan rivers have great advantages:

  • They have longer courses and they carry more sediments in them enriching the soil of the northern plains for extensive agriculture.
  • They have great potential for hydro power making irrigation and navigation easy.

Question 19.
Why are the peninsular rivers not navigable?
Answer:

  • The Peninsular rivers are mostly seasonal in nature. The flow of these rivers depends upon rainfall and they usually get dried up in the summer.
  • River beds are uneven, rocky and have sharp slopes.
  • Dams cannot be constructed on these rivers.
  • These reasons make peninsular rivers not navigable.

Question 20.
Give a brief description of freshwater lakes found in India.
Answer:
Most of the freshwater lakes are located in the Himalayan regions. They are of glacial origin. They formed when glaciers dug out a basin, which was later filled with snow melt. The Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the largest freshwater lake in India. It is the result of the tectonic activity. The Dal lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak and Barapani are some other important freshwater lakes in our country.

Question 21.
Describe how the lakes found in India differ from each other in size, and other characteristics.
Answer:
There are many lakes in India. These differ from each other in size, and other characteristics:

  • Most lakes are permanent while some contain water only during the rainy season, like the lakes in the basins of inland drainage of semi-arid regions.
  • Some lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and ice-sheets; while the others have been formed by wind, river action and human activities.
  • A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into Ox-box lakes.

Drainage Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 3 Long Answers Type

Question 1.
Which are the major Himalayan rivers? Give a brief description of the Indus river system.
Answer:
The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. The Indus river is one of the beautiful rivers of India. Together with its tributaries such as the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum, the Indus river forms an important river system, which helps in the development of Indian economy.

The river Indus originates near the Mansarovar lake in the Tibetan plateau, on the northern slopes of the Kailash mountain range. Flowing west, it enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the river gets into Pakistan through Balistan and Gilgit, running across the north in a southward route down the entire span of Pakistan, to join the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi, The Indus plain has a very gentle slope.

The total length of the river is 2900 km. It is also the longest river in Pakistan. A little over a third of the Indus basin is located in India in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the Punjab and the rest is in Pakistan.

Question 2.
Describe the important characteristics of the Brahmaputra river system.
Answer:
The three river systems that form the Himalayan river system are:

  • The Indus river system
  • The Ganga river system
  • The Brahmaputra river system

The Brahmaputra rises in the Tibet, east of Mansarovar lake very close to the sources of the Indus and the Satluj. Most of its course lies outside India. It flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas. It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge. Here, it is joined by several tributaries such as the Dibang, the Lohit to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

In Indian part, the river passes through a region of high rainfall and therefore it carries a large volume of water and silt. It has a branded channel in its entire length in Assam and forms many riverine islands. Every year during the rainy season, the river overflows its banks, causing widespread devastation due to floods in Assam and Bangladesh.

Question 3.
Give the main features of the Ganga river system.
Answer:
The Ganga river system consists of the master river Ganga and a large number of its tributaries such
as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi. The main features of this river system are:

(i) This system drains a very large area comprising the middle part of the Himalayas in the north, the northern part of the India plateau in the south and the Ganga plain in between Needless to say that the Ganga plain is one of the most fertile plains of the world.

(ii) The Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier in Uttar Kashi district of Uttarakhand at an elevation of 7,010 m. Alaknanda joins it at Devaprayag.

(iii) After travelling 280 km from its source, the Ganga reaches Haridwar, debouches from the hills and enters plain area. From here it flows in south and south-east direction for a distance of 770 km to reach Allahabad. Here it is joined by the Yamuna which is the main tributary.

(iv) Enlarged with the waters from its right and left bank tributaries, The Ganga flows eastwards till Farakka in West Bengal. Subsequently, It flows southwards into Bangladesh and is joined by the Brahmaputra. Further down stream, it is known as the Meghna. This mighty river, with waters from the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, flows into the Bay of Bengal.

(v) The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km. Its basis is the most heavily populated in the world with over 400 million people living here.

Question 4.
Which is the largest peninsular river? Describe some of its important features.
Answer:
The Godavari is the largest peninsular river. Some of its important features are:

  • It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. Its length is about 1500 km.
  • It drains into the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin also the largest among the peninsular rivers.
  • The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Godavari is joined by a number of tributaries such as the Puma, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga. The last three tributaries are very large.
  • The Godavari river is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’ since it is largest Peninsular river like the large Himalayan river. It is like the Ganga river in the south so it is also called he ‘Dakshin Ganga’.

Question 5.
Define the term ‘Drainage’. Describe various drainage patterns of rivers.
Answer:
The streams within a drainage basin form certain patterns, depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure as well as the climatic conditions of the area. These are dendritic, trellis, radial and rectangular.

  • Radial: The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central peak or dome like structure.
  • Dendritic: The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the slope of the terrain. The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.
  • Trellis: A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other. A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a trellis pattern.
  • Rectangular: A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.

Question 6.
Explain briefly the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).
Answer:
(i) The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase -1 was taken up as 100% centrally funded scheme and aimed at preventing the pollution of river Ganga and to improve its water quality. The plan was initiated in June 1985.

(ii) The Steering Committee of the National River Conservation Authority reviewed the progress of the GAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learnt and experiences gained from GAP phase-I.

(iii) The programme of river cleaning was extended to other major polluted rivers of the country under two separate schemes of GAP Phase-II and the National River Conservation Plan.

(iv) The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-II has been merged with the National River Conservation Plan. The expanded NRCP now covers 152 towns located along 27 interstate rivers in 16 states. Under this action plan, pollution abatement workers are being taken up in 57 towns.

(v) A total of 215 schemes of pollution abatement have been sanctioned. So far, 69 schemes have been completed under this action plan. A million litres of sewage is targeted to be intercepted, diverted and treated.

Question 7.
How does a river affect the economy of a country?
Answer:

  • River Brahmaputra rises in Tibet, east of Mansarovar lake very close to the sources of the Indus and the Satluj.
  • It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge.
  • Two of its tributaries are—The Dibang and the Lohit.

The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas and the peninsular uplands. Give a brief description of these tributaries.

(i) The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas. A few of them are major rivers such as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.

(ii) The river Yamuna rises from the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas. It flows parallel to the Ganga and as a right bank tributary, meets the Ganga at Allahabad.

(iii) The Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi rise in the Nepal Himalayas. These rivers flood parts of the northern plains every year, causing huge damage to life and property. But at the same time they enrich the soil for agricultural activities.

(iv) The main tributaries, which come from the peninsular uplands, are the Chambal, the Betwa and the Son. These rise from semi arid areas, have shorter courses and do not carry much water in them.

(v) The Chambal and the Betwa join Yamuna at Etawah district and Hamirpur town in Uttar Pradesh. The Son joins the river Ganga near Patna, Bihar.

Question 8.
Describe the main characteristic features of the Peninsular rivers.
Answer:
(i) The Peninsular rivers are mostly seasonal, as their flow is heavily dependent on the rainfall. During the dry season, even the larger rivers have reduced flow of water in their channels.

(ii) These rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to the Himalayan rivers. The smaller courses flow through plateau and coastal plains.

(iii) Most of the major rivers of the Peninsula such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers make deltas at their mouths. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers, which flow west and make estuaries.

Drainage Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 3 Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Questions

Question 1.
What are the main reasons of river pollution? Suggest some of the ways to prevent it.
Answer:
There are several reasons of river water pollution in India. Some of them are given below.
(i) The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers adversely affect the quality of water.

(ii) More and more water is being drained out of the rivers reducing their volume. On the other hand, a heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are emptied into the rivers. This degrades the quality of water. This also affects the self-cleansing capacity of the river.

(iii) The increasing urbanisation and industrialisation have worsened the situation. The pollution level of many rivers of India has risen due to these two reasons. Many towns and cities which come up on the banks of river have not given a proper thought to problem of wastewater, severage, etc. Many suggestions are given time to time to prevent river water pollution. Some of them are:

  • Untreated sewage and industrial effluents should not be emptied into the rivers.
  • We should not throw domestic wastes into rivers. Dirty clothes should not be washed on the river banks.
  • Industries should clean the chemical wastes before discharging it into rivers.
  • Farmers should minimise the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers as they flow away with rainwater into rivers and cause great havoc to aquatic animals.

Question 2.
What is a lagoon? How does it differ from a lake?
Answer:
Lagoon is a stretch of brackish or salt water separated from the sea by a sandbank, bars, reefs, etc. The actions of the wind and waves along coasts builds spits and bars in the inlets of seas, isolating lagoons from the sea. They are commonly found off the deltas of large rivers such as the Chilika lake, the Pulicut lake, Kolleru lake, etc.
A lagoon differs from lake in the following ways:

  • Lagoons are found only in coastal regions, usually near the mouths of rivers while lakes may be formed in any geographical location.
  • Lagoons have brackish water while a lake may have freshwater or salty water.
  • Lagoons are formed due to winds and wave actions in the coasts. Lake may be formed of tectonic activity.

Question 3.
Describe any five peninsular rivers of India.
Answer:
There are altogether six peninsular rivers in India. Five of them are:
(i) The Narmada Basin: The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh. It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting. On its way to the sea, the Narmada creates many picturesque locations.

(ii) The Tapi Basin: The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. It also flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but it is much shorter in length.

(iii) The Godavari Basin: It is the largest peninsular river. It rise from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. It drains into the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin is also the largest among the peninsular rivers. It is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’.

(iv) The Mahanadi Basin: It arises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through Odisha to reach the Bay of Bengal.

(v) The Krishan Basin: It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar and flows for about 1400 km and reaches the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Drainage Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 3 Value-based Questions (VBQs)

Question 1.
What is special about Sivasamudram?
Answer:
The river Kaveri makes the second biggest waterfall in india. It is known as Sivasamudram. The hydro-electric power generated from the falls is supplied to Mysore, Bengaluru and the Kolar Gold field.

Question 2.
How is Sambhar lake useful?
Answer:
Sambhar lake is located in Rajasthan. It is India’s largest salt-water lake. Its water is used for producing salt. Its location in Rajasthan is a boon to the state as it has made the state the third largest salt producing state in India.

Question 3.
‘Lakes are of great value to human beings’. Explain.
Answer:
Lakes are helpful to mankind in many different ways:

  • They regulate the flow of a river. During heavy rainfall, it prevents flooding and during the dry season, it helps to maintain an even flow of water.
  • Lakes can be used for developing hydel power.
  • They moderate the climate of the surroundings, maintain the aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, attract tourists and provide recreation.

Question 4.
Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout the human history. Justify the statement.
Answer:

  • Rivers are of utmost importance for the country’s economy. Their water is used for irrigation without which farming is almost impossible.
  • Rivers boost-trade and commerce by helping in the easy transport of goods.
  • River water is used for navigation and transport. Without rivers commercial activities will come to standstill.
  • Rivers main aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, help develop tourism and provide recreation.
  • Many of the multi-purpose projects in India have been built on rivers.
  • Rivers are a major source of fish which provide livelihood to a big section of the population.