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Explanation of each activity: 1 Mark
Agricultural activities use a lot of water and irrigation by traditional methods leads to wastage of water. Also, use of rainwater for irrigation interferes with the process of infiltration which recharges the groundwater.
Deforestation or cutting of trees also hampers the process of infiltration as trees hold rainwater and allow ample time for seeping of water droplets under the ground. In the absence of trees, the rainwater gets washed off easily and cannot be absorbed by the ground.
Industrial work and factories also use a lot of water and consuming it from the river will decrease the level of water which may lead to drying of the river.
Increase in population creates demand for more water and more construction, which leads to more consumption of water.
Again, construction work consumes a lot of water and blocks pores in the ground from absorbing water.
So, we see that all these activities would lead to further depletion of water and will decrease the water table.

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Effect on Plants: 1.5 Marks
Effect on humans: 1.5 Marks
Plants need water to get nutrients from the soil to prepare their food. So, if water is not present in a proper amount in the soil, plants will not be able to get nutrients.
If plants do not get proper nutrition ultimately they will die.
This will have a catastrophic effect on humans. Without plants, there will be no oxygen, and no food, both of which are essential for the survival of humans.
These are essential elements for living. Without them, we will die. So, it isnecessary for us to ensure that plants get enough water.

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Each source: 0.5 Mark
Any two source
Various sources of freshwater are:
i) Lakes
ii) Ponds
iii) Groundwater
iv) Rivers

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Steps of the water cycle: 2 Marks
The various steps in the water cycle are as follows:

• Evaporation


• Transpiration


• Condensation


• Precipitation


• Infiltration


• Runoff

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Name and explanation: 1 Mark each
The major sources of water pollution are:
1)Increasing Population
2) Increasing Industries
3) Agricultural activities
Increasing Population:Increasing population creates demands for construction of houses, shops, offices, roads, and pavements. This decreases the open areas like parks and playgrounds. This, in turn, decreases the seepage of rainwater into the ground.
Industries:Water is used by all the industries. Almost everything that we use needs water somewhere in its production process. The number of industries is increasing continuously. Water used by most of the industries is drawn from the ground.
Agricultural Activities: Farmers have to use groundwater for irrigation. Population pressure on agriculture forces more usage of groundwaterday by day. This results in depletion of water table.

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Each method: 0.5 Mark
The various methods that we can use to prevent groundwater depletion are:
i) Build Bawris to store rainwater.
ii) Turn off taps while brushing.
ii) Mop the floor instead of washing it.
iv) Use drip irrigation instead of tube wells for agricultural practices.
v) Practice rainwater harvesting.
vi) The roots of a plant hold the soil firmly and prevent soil erosion. The roots of plant absorb and store water in them.

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Reasoning: 2 Marks
Alternative ways: 1 Mark
Installing hand pumps and deep boring pipes in an area where there is water scarcity is not a good practice.Groundwater is a major source of fresh water forhuman beings. It is true that groundwater gets recharged through infiltration but the process of infiltration is very slow and if the rate of consumption of groundwater is greater than the rate of infiltration thengroundwater willbe deplete eventually. Sopeople should use groundwater judiciously. Otherwise, the water table would go down and ultimately we will run out of groundwater.
Other ways in which we can ensure enough water supply are:
i) Rainwater Harvesting - Itis a method ofcollectionand storage of rainwaterfordomestic or agricultural use later. This reduces our dependence on groundwater.
ii) Bawris arebig tanks with steps going down are constructed to store rainwater for a longer time as the amount of water evaporated will be less.

Answer: Option A. -> Soil in a flower pot
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A
The process of seeping of water into ground is known as infiltration. Both asphalt road (pavedroadsurfacewithasphalt) and cemented floor do not show any observable infiltration, but the soil in a flower pot shows sufficient infiltration as the water poured into it seeps through the soil.

Answer: Option C. -> Anmol
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C
Bathing, washing of clothes and other day to day activities require water and are necessary formaintaining hygiene. But leaking taps in a house cause substantial wastageof water over a period of time and is commonly unnoticed. Hence, Anmol is wasting water among the three.

Answer: Option A. -> True
:
A
Agricultural activitiesneeds a significant quantity of water for irrigation purposes, most of which comes from groundwater. Increasing population means increase need for agriculture and this, in turn, puts more pressure on the groundwater level. Hence, the groundwater is being used at an increasing rate which is causing the depletion of the water table.