ICSE | Geography

ICSE Board Paper 2019

ICSE Board
Class X Geography
Board Paper 2019 - Solution

Time: 2 hrs Total Marks: 80

PART I
Answer 1
(a) (i) 201215
(ii) 1622 (Pamera) or 1520 (Malegaon)

(b) (i) Radial

(ii) Nuclear settlements

(c) 281 represents spot height, i.e. the height of the spot is 281 metres above the sea level.
20 represents milestone, i.e. the distance from the nearest city is given in
kilometres.

(d) (i) Cart track and perennial lined well

(ii) Streams and highlands

(e) (i) Fire lines are five-metre wide paths which are cleared to prevent the spreading of a
forest fire.
(ii) It is a water body (dam) from which water is used for irrigation via a seasonal
canal. It has created a lake which can be used for fishing and other purposes.

(f) Width: 6X ½ km = 3 km
Length: 8X ½ km = 4 km
Area = Length X Breadth
4 x 3 = 12 sq.km.

(g) (i) In the northwest quarter of the map, perennial lined wells have brackish water.
Water in these wells are salty and hence not fit for drinking.
(ii) Causeways are a raised part of the metalled road against a minor seasonal stream.
It facilitates transportation even during the monsoons.

(h) (i) Perennial lined wells (depicted by blue dots) is the main means of irrigation shown
in the map extract.
(ii) Agriculture

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(i) Anadra is an important settlement because it has a Post and Telegraph Office, police
chowki, dispensary, Dak Bungalow etc. It is also connected with other means of
transport.
(j) Cart track, footpath and metalled road

Answer 2

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PART II
SECTION A
Answer 3
(a) (i) The monsoon winds are seasonal winds. During the summers, these winds blow
towards the southwest of India.
(ii) Two characteristics of the Indian monsoon:
 The Indian monsoon is orographic in nature.
 The monsoon winds are irregular and unreliable.
(b) (i) The summer season lasts for three months in India, i.e. from March to May.
(ii) During the summer season, the central part of India experiences low
atmospheric pressure conditions.
(c) (i) Goa receives heavy rainfall than Puducherry because Goa lies on the windward
side of the Western Ghats, while Puducherry lies on the leeward side.
(ii) Mawsynram is located in the southern slopes of Khasi Hills and is enclosed by
hills on all three sides. The Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon winds gets trapped
in the hills, and hence, Mawsynram receives the highest average annual rainfall.
(iii) Mangaluru is cooler than Delhi in the summer season because Mangaluru is
located near the coast and experiences equable type of climate. Delhi is located in
the interior of the continent far away from the sea and hence experiences
continental type of climate.
(d) (i) Station X is located in the interior of the country because it experiences high
temperature during the summer season.
(ii) Total annual rainfall = sum total of rainfall experienced in a year
Total annual rainfall for Station X is 321 cm.
(iii) The southwest monsoon winds bring most of the rainfall to Station X.

Answer 4
(a) (i) Indian soil which is formed due to the weathering of basic igneous rocks is black
soil.
(ii) Black soil is found in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
(b) (i) An important transported soil of India is the alluvial soil.
(ii) Red soil is rich in iron oxide.
(c) (i) Terrace farming is an ideal soil conservation method in the hilly regions. In this
type of farming, steps are built on the slopes of the mountains to create flat lands to
grow crops. Terrace farming is useful as it slows down the speed of water running
down the mountains and preserves soil from erosion.
(ii) Dry farming is preferred in areas with red soil because it (red soil) is formed in
areas experiencing poor rainfall.
(iii) Arid regions are devoid of any moisture and have scanty vegetation cover.
Hence, wind which blows off soil is the common agent of erosion in arid regions.

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(d) (i) Man has cut down trees in forests for fulfilling his own needs. Deforestation has
led to soil erosion.
(ii) Deepening of the river bed decreases the flow of the river which helps in
preventing soil erosion.
(iii) Laterite soil is acidic in nature as alkalis are leached.

Answer 5
(a) We need to conserve our forest resources because
 Forests are one of the basic lifelines of the Earth. They provide food, fibre and
fuel. They also provide shelter to animals.
 Forests regulate the temperature, rainfall and climate of the Earth.
(b) (i) Two conditions required for the growth of littoral forests:
 The region should be wet, swampy and marshy.
 The region should experience heavy rainfall and high temperature.
(ii) The Nilgiri Hills have dense, multi-layered forests with many types of shrubs.
(c) (i) Tropical evergreen forests are difficult to exploit for commercial purposes
because
 Tropical forests are dense with tangled mass of palms, bamboos, ferns and
climbers.
 Lack of transportation has made it difficult to exploit these forests.
(ii) Two trees found in the tropical evergreen forests are ebony and rosewood.
(d) (i) The trees in the tropical desert forests have stunted growth due to the paucity of
rainfall.
(ii) There has been an increase in forest cover in India in recent times due to
several reasons. One amongst them is the principle of social forestry. It refers to the
management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren land for
environmental, rural and social development.
(iii) The trees in monsoon deciduous forests shed their leaves for about 6-8 weeks
during March and April to conserve water.

Answer 6

(a) Modern means of irrigation are gaining popularity because of the following reasons:
 In the modern methods of irrigation, water is not wasted.
 The agricultural field gets water uniformly.
(b) Two factors which favour the development of tube well irrigation in Punjab:
 The groundwater table is high in Punjab.
 Punjab has soft soil.
(c) (i) Most south Indian states are not suitable for the development of canals because
rivers in the south are seasonal. Moreover, the rocky terrain makes it difficult to dig
canals.
(ii) There is an urgent need for water conservation in India because the water table
in India is fast depleting and an increase in population has resulted in water scarcity
in several regions.
(iii) Development of irrigation is essential for the growth of the agricultural sector in
India because rainfall in the country is uncertain and is unevenly distributed.

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(d) (i) Inundation canal: Inundation canals are long canals originating from large
rivers. They receive water when the water level in the river is high enough and
especially when in flood.
(ii) Rooftop rainwater harvesting: Rooftop rainwater harvesting is a method by
which rainwater is collected from the rooftop through pipes and stored in
underground storage structures.
(iii) Surface water: Surface water is water which exists on the surface of the Earth
such as water in a river, lake, wetland or ocean.

Answer 7
(a) Two advantages of biogas as a source of power:
 Biogas is a clean, cheap and non-polluting source of power.
 It is a renewable source of energy.
(b) (i) Balaghat is famous for manganese.
(ii) The Bhakra Nangal Project is a multi-purpose project on River Satluj.
(c) (i) Odisha has benefited greatly from the Hirakud Project because the project
provides water for irrigating the kharif and rabi crops in the districts of Sambalpur,
Bargarh, Bolangir and Subarnpur.
(ii)Copper is used to make electric wires because it is a good conductor of
electricity.
(iii)India’s location is advantageous for the generation of solar power because the
country lies in the Tropic of Cancer and is thus a tropical country.
(d) (i) A mineral used to generate nuclear power is uranium.
(ii) Petroleum is known as ‘Liquid Gold’ because it is liquid and has an extremely
high commercial value.
(iii) Coal is a non-renewable source of power and causes large-scale pollution.

Answer 8
(a) (i) Two steps taken by the Indian government to boost agricultural production:
 The government has encouraged the use of modern scientific methods of
farming.
 It has opened several credit societies in villages which provide cheap credit to
farmers at a low rate of interest.
(b) (i) Two millets grown in India are jowar and bajra.
(ii) Millets are grown on infertile dry soils.
(c) (i) Climatic conditions suitable for the cultivation of cotton crop:
 The crop requires uniformly high temperature between 210C and 300C.
 It requires at least 200 frost-free days.
(ii)Gujarat is the leading cotton-producing state in India.
(iii) In India, cotton is grown in the kharif season.
(d) (i)Wheat crop grows well in cool and moist climate and ripens in warm and dry
climate. Since the northern regions experience cool climate and rainfall (from

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westerly disturbances) during the winter season, the cultivation of wheat is

confined to the northern parts of India.
(ii)Cultivation of crops and raising of animals simultaneously is called mixed
farming. Practising mixed farming gives security to farmers because it ensures
steady income to them.
(iii) Ratoon cropping is gaining popularity among sugarcane cultivators because the
crop need not be planted again in this method. It thus saves labour. A ratoon also
matures early.

Answer 9
(a) (i) The Bhilai Iron and Steel Plant gets its supply of iron ore from Dalli Rajhara
mines in Chhattisgarh.
(ii) Visakhapatnam Steel Plant gets its supply of iron ore from Bailadila in
Chhattisgarh.
(b) (i) Karnataka has developed as an important state for the growth of the silk industry
because
 It has favourable climate for rearing silk worms.
 The state has several silk farms which has facilitated the growth of the silk
industry.
(c) (i) Sugar industries are located close to sugarcane fields because the sucrose
content of sugarcane starts decreasing within 16 hours of harvesting. Thus,
sugarcane has to be delivered quickly to the mills.
(ii)Two by-products of the sugar industry are bagasse and molasses.
(iii) One leading sugar-producing state in north India is Uttar Pradesh and that in
south India is Tamil Nadu.
(d) (i) Ahmedabad is an important cotton textile producing centre in India because it is
located close to the cotton-producing areas of the Deccan Plateau. It has a cheap
labour force and has well connected transportation networks.
(ii)Cottage industries are significant for our economy because they provide
employment to a large number of people in the country.
(iii) Petrochemical industries are located close to oil refineries to reduce the
transportation costs of raw materials.

Answer 10
(a) Roadways are an important means of transport in India because
 Roads can be easily built in hilly regions. They also provide door-to-door
services.
 Roads link railways and waterways.
(b) (i)South Indian rivers are not suitable for inland water transport because the
peninsular rivers are non-perennial and have rapids and waterfalls.
(ii) Coastal shipping helps in transporting bulky raw materials and finished goods
from one nation to the other. The cost of transportation is cheap.

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(c) (i) Nearly seventy percent of Indians do not use water transport due to its high
fares.
(ii)A well-developed transport network is important for industrial growth because
transport is necessary for the movement of raw materials and finished goods within
the country.
(iii)Water transport is not as popular as road transport in India because the rivers
are navigable only in north India. Moreover, rivers are not connected with other
water bodies.
(d) (i) Railways are an important means of transport compared to airways because
 Railway fares/tickets are priced lower than air fares/tickets.
 Heavy and bulky commodities can be easily transported through railways.
(ii) One disadvantage of rail transport is that it is difficult to lay railway lines in the
hilly, dissected and arid regions.

Answer 11
(a) (i) Impact of waste accumulation on the quality of air around us: Waste accumulation
degrades the quality of air and is a source of foul smell.
(ii) Impact of waste accumulation on the quality of water around us: The waste in water
bodies pollutes water and may lead to the spread of water-borne diseases.
(b) Decomposition of wastes in open areas can affect human health in the following ways:
(i) Accumulation of wastes attracts insects and rodents which spread diseases among
humans.
(ii) Dumping of wastes may release toxic gases which may be harmful for humans.
(c) (i) People should follow the three principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to reduce waste at
home.
(ii) Waste should be segregated before disposal because segregated waste is cheaper to
dispose of and does not require as much manual or mechanical sorting as mixed waste. It
also becomes easier to recycle biodegradable wastes.
(iii) In composting, household and municipal wastes are decomposed by the aerobic
method. The wastes are decomposed by microorganisms. This is a useful method of
waste decomposition as wastes are decomposed by microorganisms into humus
which add to the fertility of the soil.
(d) (i) Trees must be planted in industrial regions as they provide fresh air and reduce noise
pollution.
(ii) Chemical fertilisers must be replaced by organic manure because the former kills
microorganisms in the soil. Organic manure increases the percentage of
microorganisms in the soil.
(iii) Plastic and polythene bags must be banned because these bags take a long time to
decompose and are harmful for the environment. Polythene bags also harm living
organisms.

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