MCQs on “Water Scarcity and Conservation in India: A Policy Perspective”
1. What is the primary cause of water scarcity in India?
A) Overpopulation
B) Climate Change
C) Inefficient water management
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
2. What percentage of India’s total water is used for agriculture?
A) 50%
B) 60%
C) 80%
D) 90%
Answer: C) 80%
3. Which Indian state experiences the highest level of water scarcity?
A) Punjab
B) Rajasthan
C) Kerala
D) Bihar
Answer: B) Rajasthan
4. What is the term used for the practice of recharging groundwater through rainwater?
A) Groundwater harvesting
B) Rainwater harvesting
C) Surface water diversion
D) Aquifer tapping
Answer: B) Rainwater harvesting
5. Which scheme was launched by the Government of India to ensure water security in rural areas?
A) Jal Jeevan Mission
B) Smart Cities Mission
C) MGNREGA
D) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
Answer: A) Jal Jeevan Mission
6. What is the primary focus of the Atal Bhujal Yojana?
A) Urban water management
B) River rejuvenation
C) Groundwater management
D) Desalination plants
Answer: C) Groundwater management
7. What percentage of India’s population relies on groundwater for drinking?
A) 20%
B) 40%
C) 60%
D) 80%
Answer: D) 80%
8. Which Indian river basin is the most water-stressed?
A) Ganga
B) Brahmaputra
C) Godavari
D) Cauvery
Answer: D) Cauvery
9. The term “Water Stress Index” is used to measure:
A) Groundwater levels
B) Water quality
C) Water availability relative to demand
D) River flow rates
Answer: C) Water availability relative to demand
10. What is the role of the National Water Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)?
A) Promote river interlinking
B) Focus on water efficiency and conservation
C) Build new dams
D) Desalination of seawater
Answer: B) Focus on water efficiency and conservation
11. Which of the following techniques helps reduce water usage in agriculture?
A) Canal irrigation
B) Flood irrigation
C) Drip irrigation
D) Spray irrigation
Answer: C) Drip irrigation
12. Which organization is primarily responsible for regulating water resources in India?
A) Central Water Commission
B) Ministry of Agriculture
C) NITI Aayog
D) Central Pollution Control Board
Answer: A) Central Water Commission
13. The “Jal Shakti Abhiyan” campaign focuses on:
A) Building large dams
B) Urban water management
C) Rainwater harvesting and water conservation
D) Industrial water recycling
Answer: C) Rainwater harvesting and water conservation
14. Which Indian state is known for its successful implementation of community-led water conservation, such as Pani Panchayats?
A) Maharashtra
B) Gujarat
C) Kerala
D) Tamil Nadu
Answer: A) Maharashtra
15. What is “Mission Bhagiratha” associated with?
A) Urban sanitation
B) Rural water supply
C) Agricultural irrigation
D) River interlinking
Answer: B) Rural water supply
16. Which policy document provides a framework for managing India’s water resources?
A) National Water Policy
B) Environment Protection Act
C) Forest Conservation Act
D) National River Policy
Answer: A) National Water Policy
17. What is the full form of NABARD, which funds many water conservation projects?
A) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
B) National Authority for Basin and Resource Development
C) National Agency for Bio-resource and Rural Development
D) None of the above
Answer: A) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
18. The interlinking of rivers in India aims primarily to:
A) Generate hydroelectric power
B) Mitigate water scarcity and floods
C) Promote fisheries
D) Improve transportation
Answer: B) Mitigate water scarcity and floods
19. Which Indian law governs the use of groundwater resources?
A) Indian Easements Act, 1882
B) Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
C) Environment Protection Act, 1986
D) None of the above
Answer: A) Indian Easements Act, 1882
20. What is the focus of the “Jal Kranti Abhiyan”?
A) Urban water supply
B) River cleaning
C) Water conservation and management
D) Groundwater export
Answer: C) Water conservation and management
21. The World Water Development Report is published by:
A) UNESCO
B) UNEP
C) FAO
D) World Bank
Answer: A) UNESCO
22. The concept of “virtual water” refers to:
A) Water in cloud computing
B) Water used in the production of goods and services
C) Untapped groundwater resources
D) Water stored in glaciers
Answer: B) Water used in the production of goods and services
23. Which of the following methods is NOT a water conservation measure?
A) Recycling wastewater
B) Building check dams
C) Desalination
D) Over-extraction of groundwater
Answer: D) Over-extraction of groundwater
24. Which Indian district is known for its success with watershed management through the NGO “Pani Foundation”?
A) Ahmednagar
B) Jaisalmer
C) Lucknow
D) Thrissur
Answer: A) Ahmednagar
25. The Mekedatu Project is related to which river?
A) Godavari
B) Cauvery
C) Krishna
D) Mahanadi
Answer: B) Cauvery
26. Which state has adopted the “Neeru-Chettu” program for water conservation?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Telangana
C) Karnataka
D) Odisha
Answer: A) Andhra Pradesh
27. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to water is:
A) SDG 5
B) SDG 6
C) SDG 7
D) SDG 8
Answer: B) SDG 6
28. What is the function of a “percolation tank”?
A) Store water for irrigation
B) Recharge groundwater
C) Divert water to rivers
D) None of the above
Answer: B) Recharge groundwater
29. Which Indian river basin has been declared the first “clean river stretch”?
A) Ganga
B) Yamuna
C) Godavari
D) Narmada
Answer: A) Ganga
30. Which Indian city is known for its successful urban water conservation model, known as the “Urban Water Recharge System”?
A) Chennai
B) Bengaluru
C) Indore
D) Surat
Answer: C) Indore
