Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer for each question.
Environmental protection and management is deservedly attracting a lot of attention these days. This is a desirable development in the face of the alarming rate of natural resource degradation which greatly hampers their optimal utilization. When waste waters emanating from municipal sewage, industrial effluent, agriculture and land runoffs, find their way either to ground water reservoirs or other surface water sources, the quality of water deteriorates, rendering it unfit for use. The natural balance is disturbed when concentrated discharges of waste water is not controlled. This is because the cleansing forces of nature cannot do their job in proportion to the production of filthy matter.
According to the National Environment Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), a staggering 70 percent of water available in the country is polluted. According to the Planning Commission, ``From the Dal lake in the North to the Chaliyar river in the South, from Damodar and Hoogly in the East to the Thane Creek in the West, the picture of water pollution is uniformly gloomy. Even our large perennial rivers, like the Ganga, are today heavily polluted."
According to one study, all the 14 major rivers of India are highly polluted. Besides the Ganga, these rivers include the Yamuna, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. These rivers carry 85 percent of the surface runoff and their drainage basins cover 73 percent of the country. The pollution of the much revered Ganga is due in particular to municipal sewage that accounts for three-fourths of its pollution load. Despite India having legislation on water pollution (The Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974) and various water pollution control boards, rivers have today become synonymous with drains and sewers.
Untreated community wastes discharged into water courses from human settlements account for four times as much waste water as industrial effluent. Out of India’s 3,119 towns and cities, only 217 have partial (209) or full (8) sewerage treatment facilities and cover less than a third of the urban population. Statistics from a report of the Central Board for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution reveal that 1,700 of 2,700 water-using industries in India are polluting the water around their factories. Only 160 industries have waste water treatment plants. One estimate suggests that the volume of waste water of industrial origin will be comparable to that of domestic sewerage in India by 2000 AD. Discharges from agricultural fields, which carry fertilizing ingredients of nitrogen, phosphorous and pesticides, are expected to be three times as much as domestic sewage. By that date, thermal pollution generated by discharges from thermal power plants will be the largest in volume.
Toxic effluents deplete the levels of oxygen in the rivers, endanger all aquatic life and render water absolutely unfit for human consumption, apart from affecting industrial production. Sometimes these effects have been disastrous. A recent study reveals that the water of the Ganga, Yamuna, Kali and Hindon rivers have considerable concentrations of heavy metals due to inflow of industrial wastes, which pose a serious health hazard to the millions living on their banks. Similarly, the Cauvery and Kapila rivers in Karnataka have been found to contain metal pollutants, which threaten the health of people in riverine towns. The Periyar, the largest river of Kerala, receives extremely toxic effluent that results in high incidence of skin problems and fish kills. The Godavari of Andhra Pradesh and the Damodar and Hoogly in West Bengal receive untreated industrial toxic wastes. A high level of pollution has been found in the Yamuna, while the Chambal of Rajasthan is considered the most polluted river in Rajasthan. Even in industrially backward Orissa, the Rushikula river is extremely polluted. The fate of the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, the Tungabhadra in Karnataka, the Chaliyar in Kerala, the Gomti in U.P., the Narmada in M.P. and the Sone and the Subarnarekha rivers in Bihar is no different.
According to the W.H.O., eighty percent of diseases prevalent in India are water-borne; many of them assume epidemic proportions. The prevalence of these diseases heightens under conditions of drought. It is also estimated that India loses as many as 73 million man-days every year due to water prone diseases, costing Rs.600 crore by way of treatment expenditure and production losses. Management of water resources with respect to their quality also assumes greater importance especially when the country can no more afford to waste water.
The recent Clean-the-Ganga Project with an action plan estimated to cost the exchequer Rs.250 crore (which has been accorded top priority) is a trendsetter in achieving this goal. The action plan evoked such great interest that offers of assistance have been received from France, UK, US and the Netherlands as also the World Bank. This is indeed laudable. Poland too has now joined this list. The very fact that these countries have volunteered themselves to contribute their mite is a healthy reflection of global concern over growing environmental degradation and the readiness of the international community to participate in what is a truly formidable task. It may be recalled that the task of cleansing the Ganga along the Rishikesh–Hardwar stretch under the first phase of the Ganga Action Plan has been completed and the results are reported to be encouraging.
The reasons for the crisis of drinking water resources are drying up and the lowering of ground water through overpumping; this is compounded by the pollution of water sources. All these factors increase the magnitude of the problem. An assessment of the progress achieved by the end of March 1985, on completion of the first phase of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981–1991) reveals that drinking water has been available to 73 percent of the urban population and 56 percent of the rural population only. This means that nearly half the country’s rural population has to get drinking water facilities. This needs to be urgently geared up especially when considered against the Government’s professed objective of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to all by the end of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade i.e. March 1991. The foremost action in this would be to clean up our water resources.
As per surveys conducted by the NEERI, per capita drinking water losses in different cities in the country range between 11,000 to 31,000 litres annually. This indicates a waste level of 20 to 35 percent of the total flow of water in the distribution system primarily due to leaks in main and household service pipes. Preventive maintenance programme would substantially reduce losses, wastages and would certainly go a long way in solving the problem.
According to the Union Ministry of Works and Housing, of the 2.31 lakh problem villages, most have been provided with at least one source of drinking water as of March 1986. The balance (38,748) villages are expected to be covered during the seventh plan. A time-bound national policy on drinking water is being formulated by Government, wherein the task is proposed to be completed by the end of the seventh plan. An outlay of Rs.6,522.47 crores has been allotted for the water supply and sanitation sector in the seventh plan period against an outlay of Rs.3,922.02 crores in the sixth plan. Of this, outlay for rural water supply sector is Rs.3,454.47 crores. It is expected that this outlay would help to cover about 86.4 percent of the urban and 82.2 percent of the rural population with safe drinking water facilities by March 1991. Hygienic sanitation facilities would be provided to 44.7 percent and 1.8 percent of the urban and rural population respectively within the same period.
According to NEERI
Show Hint
- the extent of water pollution in the Dal Lake is grim.
- 70 percent of the total water available in the country is polluted.
- only 217 out of 3119 towns and cities have sewage treatment facilities.
- all the 14 major rivers of India are highly polluted.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
This figure likely stems from a combination of untreated domestic sewage, industrial waste discharge, and agricultural runoff entering rivers, lakes, and groundwater. It represents a nation-wide assessment and is used often in policy-making and environmental reports.
Evaluating the other options:
- (a) refers to Dal Lake’s condition, which may be true, but it is a specific case—not the central finding mentioned.
- (c) gives a specific statistic about sewage facilities, but the 70% pollution figure is more prominently reported by NEERI.
- (d) generalizes that all 14 rivers are “highly polluted,” which is an exaggeration. NEERI's concern is about the water availability nationwide, not exclusively river pollution.
The degradation of natural resources will necessarily lead to
Show Hint
- poor economic utilization of resources.
- contamination of water from municipal sewage.
- water unfit for human consumption.
- none of the above.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
These directly affect the economy as they hinder sustainable development, agriculture, energy, and human health.
Poor economic utilization results because the resources lose value and cannot be optimally used for national growth.
Option (b) and (c) refer to consequences of a specific type of degradation (water),
whereas the question asks for a general and necessary consequence, which is broader and economic in nature.
Which of the following statements has/ have been made by the W.H.O.?
Show Hint
- Water-borne diseases account for 80 percent of all diseases prevalent in India.
- Water-borne diseases in India create a loss of Rs.600 crores every year.
- Both (a) and (b).
- None of the above.
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Statement (a) is correct: 80% of all diseases in India are water-borne, as per W.H.O. data.
Diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid are directly linked to contaminated water sources.
Statement (b) is also accurate: W.H.O. reports that India loses about Rs. 600 crores annually
due to medical expenses, workdays lost, and economic productivity affected by these diseases.
Since both statements are factual and supported by W.H.O., option (c) is the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is correct?
Show Hint
- The river Periyar is in the South India.
- The river Periyar is the largest river of Kerala.
- The river Gomti is also extremely polluted.
- All of the above are correct.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Statement (b) is correct: It is the largest river in Kerala in terms of length and volume of discharge.
Statement (c) is correct: The Gomti river, especially in cities like Lucknow, suffers from severe pollution
due to industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and poor waste management.
All three statements are accurate, so the best choice is (d) All of the above are correct.
Municipal sewage pollutants account for
Show Hint
- the lowest percentage of water pollution
- 75 percent of the Ganga’s water pollution load.
- twice the volume of the waste water of industrial origin.
- three times as much as the discharge from agricultural fields.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
municipal sewage is the single largest contributor to the pollution load in the Ganga River.
Roughly 75% of the total pollution in the Ganga is attributed to untreated or partially treated municipal waste.
This includes domestic waste from households, commercial establishments, and slum clusters.
Due to rapid urbanization and lack of adequate sewage treatment infrastructure,
municipal sources far outweigh the contributions of industry or agriculture.
Option (a) is incorrect because municipal sewage accounts for the highest—not the lowest—pollution.
Option (c) may be numerically close but is not as precise or authoritative as the 75% figure.
Option (d) is vague and again doesn’t match the major reported percentage.
The crisis of drinking water is caused chiefly by
Show Hint
- the green house effect.
- water pollution caused by industrial development.
- drying up of water sources and over pumping.
- increasing urbanization.
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
In both rural and urban areas, unregulated pumping has led to falling water tables.
This, coupled with the drying of natural water sources due to climate change and mismanagement,
has resulted in an acute shortage of safe and accessible drinking water.
Option (a) is related to climate change but is not a direct cause.
Option (b) is a contributor but not the main cause.
Option (d) increases demand but doesn't directly explain water source depletion.
The cost of the ‘Clean-the–Ganga Pollution’ Project Action Plan is likely to be sourced from
Show Hint
- the Indian exchequer.
- France, UK, US and the Netherlands.
- the World Bank, Poland, UK.
- the US, UK, Netherlands, Poland, France, the World Bank and India.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The funding is drawn from a pool that includes countries such as the US, UK, Netherlands, France, and Poland,
as well as global organizations like the World Bank.
India, as the implementing country, also allocates funds from its own exchequer.
Option (d) accurately combines all key contributors involved in funding the project.
Considerable amounts of metal pollutants are found in the river(s)
Show Hint
- Chambal of Rajasthan.
- Rushikula in Orissa.
- Damodar, Hoogly, Krishna and Gomti.
- Ganga, Yamuna, Kali, Hindon, Cauvery and Kapila.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Ganga and Yamuna have high levels of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
The Hindon and Kali rivers, especially in Uttar Pradesh, are infamous for industrial waste pollution.
Cauvery and Kapila are also affected due to effluents from textile and tanning industries.
Option (d) includes the most extensive list of rivers where such pollutants are documented.
Out of the total outlay for water supply and sanitation in the seventh plan, rural water supply sector would receive
Show Hint
- about 53 percent.
- over 80 percent.
- between 65 to 80 percent.
- equal to 44.7 percent.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Out of the total budget allotted for water supply and sanitation,
about 53% was designated specifically for rural water supply.
This reflects the government's aim to reduce water-borne diseases in rural areas
and improve the overall quality of life through clean drinking water.
Other options either overstate or understate the allocation.
The best remedy for shortage lies in
Show Hint
- putting up more pumps in rural areas.
- cleaning up polluted water.
- reducing the waste level of 25-30 percent of the total flow of water.
- constructing large sized dams.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
but improving the usability of existing sources by cleaning up polluted water.
Polluted rivers, lakes, and groundwater cannot be consumed without treatment,
and with a significant portion of India's water bodies being contaminated,
restoring these to usable condition is the quickest and most sustainable solution.
Option (a) only extracts more water, not addresses usability.
Option (c) is important but doesn't recover already polluted sources.
Option (d) involves long timelines and massive ecological consequences.
Hence, option (b) is the most practical and immediate remedy.
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