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"Recent evidence… (Class 10 Social Science 2025, Q33a)

questionbuddy.in/q/cbse-10-social-science-2025-32-1-1-q33a-recent-evidence-suggests-overuse-groundwater

Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 32/1/1 · 5 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2025: question 33(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 32/1/1, section D, question 33(a), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q33(a) · 5 marks · Long answerWater Resources

"Recent evidence suggests that overuse of groundwater is becoming a serious threat in many parts of the country." Evaluate the statement in the context of sustainability of development.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 32/1/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Begin by defining sustainable development.

Hint 2

Think about what happens when extraction is more than recharge, and where irrigation use is highest.

Hint 3

Use the figures from NCERT, such as the districts with a water-level decline, and then end with solutions.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Meaning: sustainable development means growth that does not damage the environment and does not compromise the needs of future generations. Groundwater is a renewable resource, but it is renewed only at a limited rate.

    1 mark

  2. Population growth and intensive irrigation, especially for water-hungry crops, have raised the demand for groundwater far above its natural recharge.

    1 mark

  3. Over-extraction through tube wells and pumps lowers the water table. About 300 districts have reported a fall of over 4 metres in 20 years.

    1 mark

  4. Nearly one third of the country is overusing its groundwater. If present trends continue, about 60% of the country will be doing so in 25 years. This is clearly unsustainable. Overuse is worst in agriculturally prosperous regions such as Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh.

    1 mark

  5. Measures: use water judiciously with drip and sprinkler irrigation, rainwater harvesting and recharge of aquifers, strong regulation of extraction, and control over dumping of toxic waste that pollutes groundwater. Thus the statement is valid, because overuse threatens present and future needs.

    1 mark

Answer: Groundwater overuse is a serious threat to sustainable development. It is driven by population and irrigation demand, shown by falling water tables, and needs judicious use and regulation.

Where the marks are

  • Explains sustainability (1 mark)
  • Gives causes of overuse: population and agriculture (1 mark)
  • Shows depletion with evidence such as the 300 districts figure (1 mark)
  • Gives the one-third and 60% projections, and the Punjab and western UP example (1 mark)
  • Suggests measures and concludes (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Water Resources (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Water Resources, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 32/1/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.