In-Text Activity Solutions
1. Identifying Human Interventions (Page 7)
Prompt: Identify human actions in your surroundings that result in Nature losing her ability to restore and regenerate. What interventions can restore Nature’s cycle?
Analysis:
- Harmful Actions:
- Concretization: Covering soil with concrete prevents rainwater from seeping in, stopping groundwater recharge.
- Plastic Waste: Dumping plastic in rivers chokes aquatic life and prevents natural water purification.
- Stubble Burning: Destroys soil nutrients and kills friendly bacteria necessary for soil regeneration.
- Restorative Interventions:
- Desilting ponds: Allows better water storage.
- Planting native trees: Restores local biodiversity.
- Composting: Returns organic nutrients to the soil.
2. Renewable Resources in Your Region (Page 8)
Prompt: Assess the types of renewable resources in your region. What has been the change in their status?
Guidance for Students:
- If you live in a City: Look at Air Quality. Has it worsened due to vehicles? Look at Groundwater. Are borewells digging deeper every year?
- If you live in a Village: Look at Forest cover. Has it reduced? Are ponds seasonal now instead of perennial?
- Report Focus: Link the decline to population pressure and lack of conservation efforts.
3. Daily Use of Non-Renewables (Page 8)
Prompt: What non-renewable resources do you use daily? What are possible renewable substitutes?
| Daily Item | Non-Renewable Source | Renewable Substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Coal (Thermal Power) | Solar Panels (Rooftop), Wind Energy |
| Car/Bike Fuel | Petroleum/Diesel | Electric Vehicles (charged via Solar), Bio-fuels |
| Plastics | Crude Oil | Bamboo, Jute, Starch-based bio-plastics |
| Gold/Jewelry | Mined Gold Ore | Recycled Gold, Lab-grown alternatives |
4. Mineral Distribution Map Analysis (Page 9)
Prompt: Observe the map in Fig 1.11. Notice uneven distribution.
Observation:
- Central/Eastern India (Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh): Rich in Coal and Iron Ore. This is why major steel plants (Bokaro, Jamshedpur) are located here.
- Western India (Gujarat/Maharashtra): Rich in Petroleum (Ankleshwar, Mumbai High).
- Southern India (Karnataka): Rich in Iron Ore and Gold (Kolar, Hutti).
- Implication: Regions without these minerals must trade or buy them, creating economic dependency.
5. International Conflicts (Page 10)
Prompt: Find out about a conflict in the international context regarding natural resources.
Example Case: The Nile River Conflict
- Countries: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia.
- Resource: Water of the River Nile.
- Issue: Ethiopia is building the “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam” (GERD) to generate electricity. Egypt fears this will reduce the water flow reaching them, threatening their agriculture and survival.
- Parallel: This is similar to the Kaveri River dispute in India, showing how trans-boundary resources require diplomatic sharing.