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Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems – Class 12 Geography notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 12 Geography, chapter 15. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Environmental pollution is the release of harmful substances into the environment due to human activities. It includes air, water, land and noise pollution. Urbanisation has led to problems such as slums, congestion and waste management, while land degradation reduces the productivity of land. Dharavi in Mumbai is often cited as one of Asia's largest slums. Solutions include pollution control, better urban planning, waste management and community participation.

Pollution

Water pollution arises from industrial effluents, urban sewage and agricultural chemicals; the Ganga and Yamuna are among the most polluted rivers.
Air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, industries, vehicles and burning of crop residue; it causes respiratory diseases and smog, especially in north Indian cities in winter.
Noise pollution comes from traffic, industries and loudspeakers; land pollution arises from solid waste, chemicals and plastics.

Urbanisation, slums and land degradation

Rapid urbanisation has created slums with poor housing, sanitation and services; Dharavi in Mumbai is a well-known example.
Urban waste disposal is a major problem; segregation, recycling and composting are solutions.
Land degradation is caused by soil erosion, waterlogging, salinity, deforestation, overgrazing and mining; wastelands can be reclaimed through afforestation and watershed management, as seen in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh.

Key terms

Pollution: release of harmful substances into the environment
Slum: an overcrowded urban area with poor housing and services
Land degradation: decline in the productive capacity of land
Wasteland: degraded land that is not used productively
Solid waste: discarded materials such as garbage, plastics and debris

Important questions with answers

What is land degradation?2 marks

Land degradation is the decline in the productive capacity of land, temporarily or permanently, due to natural processes and human activities such as soil erosion, waterlogging, salinity, deforestation, overgrazing, mining and improper farming.

What are the main problems of slums?3 marks

Slums have overcrowded, poorly built houses, lack of clean drinking water, sanitation and drainage, poor health conditions and diseases, insecure land tenure, and limited access to education and employment, along with social problems.

Discuss the problems of urbanisation in India with suggestions.5 marks

Rapid urbanisation in India, caused by natural growth of urban population and migration from rural areas in search of jobs, has created several problems. Housing shortages have led to the growth of slums such as Dharavi in Mumbai, where people live in overcrowded conditions without adequate water, sanitation, drainage or secure tenure. Traffic congestion has increased with the growing number of vehicles, causing delays and accidents. Air pollution from vehicles, industries, construction and burning of waste has reached dangerous levels in many cities, causing respiratory diseases. Water supply is often inadequate, and untreated sewage pollutes rivers. Solid waste generation has grown rapidly, but collection, segregation and safe disposal are inadequate, leading to garbage dumps. Unemployment and the informal sector, inadequate public transport and social problems also affect cities. Suggestions include planned urban development and affordable housing, slum upgradation with basic services, better public transport such as metro rail and buses, strict pollution control and cleaner fuels, sewage treatment, segregation and recycling of waste at source, green spaces, development of small and medium towns to reduce pressure on big cities, and programmes such as the Smart Cities Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, with citizen participation.

Quick revision

Air, water, noise and land pollution.
Urbanisation and slums; Dharavi.
Waste management.
Land degradation; Jhabua.

Exam tips

Make a table of types of pollution with sources and effects.
Learn the Jhabua watershed example of land reclamation.

Practice MCQs

Release of harmful substances into the environment is called
1. conservation
2. recycling
3. pollution
4. afforestation
Show answer
Answer: (c) pollution. It affects air, water and land.
Dharavi, a large slum, is in
1. Delhi
2. Mumbai
3. Kolkata
4. Chennai
Show answer
Answer: (b) Mumbai. It is one of Asia's largest slums.
Burning of crop residue mainly causes
1. noise pollution
2. air pollution
3. water pollution only
4. land reclamation
Show answer
Answer: (b) air pollution. It adds smoke and particles to air.
The main source of water pollution in rivers near cities is
1. forest fires
2. untreated sewage and industrial effluents
3. volcanoes
4. glaciers
Show answer
Answer: (b) untreated sewage and industrial effluents. Treatment plants are inadequate.
Overgrazing and deforestation cause
1. higher soil fertility
2. coral growth
3. land degradation
4. more rainfall
Show answer
Answer: (c) land degradation. Soil becomes exposed to erosion.
Jhabua district, known for watershed-based land reclamation, is in
1. Rajasthan
2. Punjab
3. Odisha
4. Madhya Pradesh
Show answer
Answer: (d) Madhya Pradesh. Bhil tribal communities participated.
Why do slums grow in Indian cities
1. rural-urban migration exceeds the supply of affordable housing and services
2. there is no migration
3. cities have too much housing
4. people prefer poor sanitation
Show answer
Answer: (a) rural-urban migration exceeds the supply of affordable housing and services. Urban planning has lagged.
Which is an effective way to reduce urban solid waste
1. burning all waste openly
2. segregation, recycling and composting at source
3. dumping in rivers
4. using more plastic
Show answer
Answer: (b) segregation, recycling and composting at source. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

All chapters of Class 12 Geography

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.