CLASS X GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER 6: MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

(Some Important Questions and Answers)

1) Define the term, ‘manufacturing’.

Answer: Production of goods in large quantities after processing from raw materials to more valuable
products is called manufacturing.
2) “Agriculture and industry are not exclusive of each other. They move hand in hand.” Justify this
statement.
Answer:
a) Manufacturing industries help in modernising agriculture, which forms the backbone of our
economy, by providing irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, plastic and PVC pipes,
machines and tools, etc. to the farmers.
b) The agro-based industries (cotton textile, jute textile, sugar etc.) in India have given a major boost to
agriculture by raising the demand for agricultural raw materials.
c) Development and competitiveness of manufacturing industry has not only assisted agriculturists in
increasing their production but also made the production processes very efficient.
d) Industries also reduce the heavy dependence of people on agricultural income by providing them
jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
3) Discuss the importance of industry.
OR
Discuss the contribution of industry to our national economy.
Answer: The importance of industry is mentioned below: -
OR
The contribution of industry to our national economy is mentioned below: -
a) Over the last two decades, the share of manufacturing sector has stagnated at 17 per cent of GDP
Since 2003, manufacturing is once again growing at the rate of 9 to 10 percent per annum.
b) Manufacturing industries help in modernising agriculture, which forms the backbone of our
economy, by providing irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, plastic and PVC pipes,
machines and tools, etc. to the farmers.
c) The agro-industries (cotton textile, jute textile, sugar etc.) in India have given a major boost to
agriculture by raising the demand for agricultural raw materials.
d) Industries also reduce the heavy dependence of people on agricultural income by providing them
jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
e) Industrial development is a precondition for eradication of unemployment and poverty from our
country. This was the main philosophy behind public sector industries and joint sector ventures in
India. It was also aimed at bringing down regional disparities by establishing industries in tribal and
backward areas.
f) Countries that transform their raw materials into a wide variety of finished goods of higher value are
prosperous. Export of manufactured goods expands trade and commerce, and brings in much
needed foreign exchange. Hence, India’s prosperity lies in increasing and diversifying its
manufacturing industries as quickly as possible.
4) What are agro-based industries? Give some examples.
Answer: Agro-based industries are those industries which use and process agricultural products as raw
materials. The examples of such industries are – cotton, jute, silk, woollen textiles, sugar and edible oil.
5) Why does the textile industry occupy unique position in the Indian economy?
Answer: The textile industry occupies unique position in the Indian economy because –
a) it contributes significantly to industrial production, employment generation and foreign exchange
earnings.
 b) It is the only industry in the country, which is self-reliant and complete in the value chain i.e., from
raw material to the highest value-added products.
6) Why is the textile industry considered self-reliant and complete in the value chain?
Answer: The textile industry is considered self-reliant and complete in the value chain because of the
following reasons: -
a) It processes the basic agricultural raw materials through the various stages of production and
transforms them in the highest value-added consumer products. The following diagram helps to
understand this concept.

b) All the stages of production such as ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, designing, packaging,
tailoring and sewing take place in the industry.
7) Discuss the reasons for the initial concentration of the cotton textile industry in Maharashtra and
Gujarat.
Answer: Initially the cotton textile industry was concentrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat because of the
following reasons: -
a) The black soil, which is also known as “black cotton soil as it is ideal for the cultivation of cotton, is
found in these states.
b) Availability of market, transport including accessible port facilities of Mumbai, labour, moist climate
etc. contributed towards its localisation.
8) Why did Mahatma Gandhi lay emphasis on spinning yarn and weaving khadi?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi laid emphasis on spinning yarn and weaving khadi because of the following
reasons: -
a) He wanted Indians to become self-dependent in the production of clothes for themselves.
b) Mahatma Gandhi clearly expressed his concern or anxiety about resource conservation in these
words: “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed.” He placed the greedy
and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the root cause for resource
depletion. Hence, Gandhiji was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the
production by the masses.
c) The handspun khadi provides large scale employment to weavers in their homes as a cottage
industry.
9) Why is it important for our country to keep the mill sector loomage lower than power loom and
handloom?
Answer: It is important for our country to keep the mill sector loomage lower than power loom and
handloom because of the following reasons –
a) India has world class production in spinning, but weaving supplies low quality of fabric as it cannot
use much of the high-quality yarn produced in the country.
b) Most of the yarn produced in India, is exported to other countries as semi-finished goods.
c) Under this situation, if the mill sector uses and processes all the remaining yarn that is not exported,
the power looms and handlooms will be deprived of the supply of yarn.
10) Discuss the reasons for the concentration of jute mills on the banks of river Hugli.
Answer: The reasons for the concentration of jute mills on the banks of river Hugli are as follows: -
a) Proximity to the jute producing areas of Nadia, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri,
North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Malda districts.
b) Inexpensive water transport, supported by a good network of railways, roadways and waterways
to facilitate movement of raw material to the mills.
c) Abundant water for processing raw jute, cheap labour from West Bengal and adjoining states of
Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
d) Kolkata as a large urban centre provides banking, insurance and port facilities for export of jute
goods.
11) Why is there a tendency for the sugar mills to shift and concentrate in the southern and western states,
especially in Maharashtra?
Answer: In recent years, there is a tendency for the mills to shift and concentrate in the southern and
western states, especially in Maharashtra because of the following reasons: -
a) The sugarcane produced in the southern and western states has a higher sucrose content.
b) The cooler climate also ensures a longer crushing season.
c) Moreover, the cooperatives are more successful in these states.
12) Discuss the process of steel manufacturing.
Answer: -
a) In the process of steel manufacturing, iron ore, coking coal and limestone are required in the ratio
of approximately 4 :2 : 1. Some quantities of manganese, are also required to harden the steel.
b) Limestone is used as fluxing material for smelting the iron ore at a comparatively low temperature.
c) The following diagram depicts the process of manufacturing steel.

d) Rolling is the process in which metal stock is passed through one or more pairs of rolls to reduce the
thickness and/or to make the thickness uniform.
e) Casting is a process in which a liquid metal is delivered into a mould that contains a negative
impression (i.e., a three-dimensional negative image) of the intended shape.
f) Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal by blowing it with a hammer.
13) Why does the Chhotanagpur plateau region have the maximum concentration of iron and steel
industries?
Answer: The Chhotanagpur plateau region has the maximum concentration of iron and steel industries
because of the following reasons: -
a) Iron and steel industry is a heavy industry because all the raw materials as well as finished goods
are heavy and bulky requiring heavy transportation costs. Hence, such an industry should be
 located near the source of raw materials and market. Cheap and efficient transport network is also
needed to transport the raw materials to the steel plant and also for the distribution of finished
product to the market and other industries that use steel as raw materials.
b) In Odisha, high grade haematite iron ore is found in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and
Kendujhar districts. In the adjoining Singbhum district of Jharkhand haematite iron ore is mined in
Gua and Noamundi.
c) Manganese ore mines are located in the state of Odisha.
d) The major resources of Gondwana coal, which is metallurgical coal, are located in Damodar valley
(West Bengal- Jharkhand). Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro are important coalfields.
e) Cheap labour and vast growth potential in the home market have also made the concentration of
steel industry possible in the Chhotanagpur plateau region.
f) Well-developed banking, insurance and transportation facilities are the other positive factors.
14) How did the Green Revolution in India help in the development of fertiliser industry?
[Write the answer on your own.]
15) How did the liberalisation of Indian trade help in the development of automobile industry?
[Write the answer on your own.]
16) Discuss the types of pollution caused by industries.
Answer: Industries cause the following four types of pollution: -
a) Air pollution is caused by the presence of high proportion of undesirable gases, such as sulphur
dioxide and carbon monoxide. Airborne particulate materials contain both solid and liquid particles
like dust, sprays mist and smoke. Smoke is emitted by chemical and paper factories, brick kilns,
refineries and smelting plants, and burning of fossil fuels in big and small factories that ignore
pollution norms. Toxic gas leaks can be very hazardous with long-term effects.
b) Water pollution is caused by organic and inorganic industrial wastes and effluents discharged into
rivers. The main culprits in this regard are paper, pulp, chemical, textile and dyeing, petroleum
refineries, tanneries and electroplating industries that let out dyes, detergents, acids, salts and heavy
metals like lead and mercury pesticides, fertilisers, synthetic chemicals with carbon, plastics and
rubber, etc. into the water bodies. Fly ash, phospogypsum and iron and steel slags are the major solid
wastes in India.
Thermal pollution of water occurs when hot water from factories and thermal plants is drained into
rivers and ponds before cooling.
c) Land pollution: Wastes from nuclear power plants, nuclear and weapon production facilities cause
cancers, birth defects and miscarriages. Soil and water pollution are closely related. Dumping of
wastes specially glass, harmful chemicals, industrial effluents, packaging, salts and garbage renders
the soil useless. Rain water percolates to the soil carrying the pollutants to the ground and the
ground water also gets contaminated.
d) Noise pollution not only results in irritation and anger, it can also cause hearing impairment,
increased heart rate and blood pressure among other physiological effects. Unwanted sound is an
irritant and a source of stress. Industrial and construction activities, machinery, factory equipment,
generators, saws and pneumatic and electric drills also make a lot of noise.

2) Discuss the methods to control environmental pollution caused by industries.

Answer:
a) Methods to control water pollution: -
i. Minimising the use water for processing by reusing and recycling it in two or more successive
stages.
ii. Harvesting of rainwater to meet water requirements
iii. Treatment of hot water and effluents in the following three phases before releasing them in
 rivers and ponds: -
• Primary treatment by mechanical means. This involves screening, grinding, flocculation and
sedimentation.
• Secondary treatment by biological process.
• Tertiary treatment by biological, chemical and physical processes. This involves recycling of
wastewater.
iv. Overdrawing of ground water reserves by industry where there is a threat to ground water
resources also needs to be regulated legally.
b) Methods to control air pollution: - Particulate matter in the air can be reduced by fitting smoke
stacks to factories with electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers and inertial separators.
Smoke can be reduced by using oil or gas instead of coal in factories.
c) Methods to control noise pollution: - Machinery and equipment can be used and generators should
be fitted with silencers. Almost all machinery can be redesigned to increase energy efficiency and
reduce noise. Noise absorbing material may be used apart from personal use of earplugs and
earphones.
Some Difficult Terms and Their Meanings
Flocculation: Forming aggregated or compound masses of particles.
Electrostatic precipitator: A device which removes suspended dust particles from a gas or exhaust by
applying a high-voltage electrostatic charges and collecting the particles on charged plates.
Scrubber: A pollution control device that uses liquid to wash/remove unwanted pollutants from a gas
stream.
Inertial separator: Inertial separators separate dust from gas streams using a combination of forces, such
as centrifugal, gravitational, and inertial. These forces move the dust to an area where the forces exerted
by the gas stream are minimal. The separated dust is moved by gravity into a hopper, where it is
temporarily stored.
 Inertial separator: A device that concentrate or collect particles by changing the direction of motion of
the flowing gas, in such a way that the particle trajectories cross over the gas streamlines and the
particles are either concentrated into a small part of the gas flow or are separated by getting stored onto
a surface.
3) How does National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) have a proactive approach for preserving the
natural environment and resources like water, oil and gas and fuels? Discuss.
Answer: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is a major power providing corporation has ISO
certification for EMS (Environment Management System) 14001 because this corporation has a proactive
approach for preserving the natural environment and resources like water, oil and gas and fuels in places
where it is setting up power plants. This has been possible through: -
a) Optimum utilisation of equipment adopting latest techniques and upgrading existing equipment.
b) Minimising waste generation by maximising ash utilisation.
c) Providing green belts for nurturing ecological balance and addressing the question of special purpose
vehicles for afforestation.
d) Reducing environmental pollution through ash pond management, ash water recycling system and
liquid waste management.
e) Ecological monitoring, reviews and online database management for all its power stations.