ICSE | Geography

ICSE Board Paper 2018

ICSE Board
Class X Geography
Board Paper 2018 - Solution

Time: 2 hrs Total Marks: 80

PART I
Answer 2

www.topperlearning.com 1
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

PART II
SECTION A
Answer 3

(a) The northwest part of India receives rainfall during the winter months from the
Western Depressions, while the southeast part of India receives rainfall because of
the northeast monsoon winds.
(b) (i) Kerala is the first state to experience the onset of the monsoon.
(ii) Mango showers help in the ripening of mangoes in Karnataka.
(c) (i) Kanyakumari experiences equable climate because it is located near the coast,
and there is not much difference between the temperatures during the summer and
winter months.
(ii) Central Maharashtra receives less rainfall than the coastal area of Maharashtra
because Central Maharashtra is located on the leeward side of the Western Ghats.
Places located on the leeward side of a mountain receive scanty rainfall.
(iii) Jaipur has a higher annual range of temperature because it is located in the
interior of the continent and hence experiences continental type of climate. While
summers are extremely hot, winters are extremely cold. On the other hand, Mumbai
is located near the coast and experiences equable type of climate.
(d) Three differences between the summer monsoon and retreating monsoon seasons:
Summer monsoon season Retreating monsoon season
The season begins in June and continues October and November are called
till September. months of retreating monsoon.
Winds blowing in this season are moist Winds are dry. Rainfall is experienced by
and bring rainfall to most parts of the only few coastal regions of Tamil Nadu,
country. Odisha and parts of Karnataka.
People get relief from intense heat due This season experiences high
to rainfall caused by monsoon winds. temperature and humidity, which is
commonly known as ‘October Heat’.

Answer 4

(a) (i) Alluvial soil differs in texture because it has been formed due to erosional,
transportation and deposition activities of the Himalayan rivers. While the soil is
coarse in the upper reaches of the river valleys, it is fine in the lower course of the
river.
(ii) Two cash crops which grow well in alluvial soil are sugarcane and cotton.
(b) (i) Cotton grows well in this soil.
(ii) It has high quantities of lime, iron and magnesium and is poor in phosphorus,
nitrogen and organic matter.

(c) (i) Red soil requires irrigation because it is loamy and cannot retain water and
hence requires irrigation.

www.topperlearning.com 2
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

(ii) Afforestation is the planting of trees. The roots of trees hold on to the soil and
prevent it from getting eroded.
(iii) Laterite soil is red because of the presence of red soil which is formed by
leaching.

Answer 5

(a) (i) Tropical monsoon forests are found on the western slopes of the Western Ghats.
(ii) The forest is of great commercial value because it provides hard and durable
timber.
(b) (i) The underground root system requires oxygen. Trees of the littoral forests have
aerial roots because these are found in wet and marshy regions. The soil is not able
to support the underground root system, and hence, they grow vertically up to the
air above the soil.
(ii) Littoral forests are found in the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
(c) (i) Thorn and scrub forests are found in Rajasthan.
(ii) Plants in the scrub forests have adapted to the climate in the following ways:
 Roots of plants go deep into the soil in search of water.
 Plants have a thick stem to store water.
(d) (i) Forests are important in the following ways:
 Forests are the moderator of the climate. They play an effective role in
controlling humidity, temperature and rainfall.
 Forests help in controlling soil erosion, soil degradation and floods.
(ii) Forests are preserved in India by following the principle of social forestry. It
refers to the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren
lands for environmental, rural and social development.

Answer 6
(a) Despite an adequate rainfall during the rainy season, we require irrigation because
 Rainfall is uncertain, irregular and unreliable in India.
 Distribution of rainfall in the country is uneven. While some states such as
Kerala and Assam receive abundant rainfall during the monsoon months,
Rajasthan and Haryana hardly receive any rainfall.
(b) (i) Three traditional means of irrigation are wells, tanks and canals.
(ii) Traditional means of irrigation are still important in most parts of India because
it is not easy to use modern means of irrigation such as spray irrigation and drip
irrigation. Most small farmers also neither have the means nor the required
knowledge to use modern methods of irrigation.
(c) (i) Surface water is the water found on the surface of the earth in rivers, lakes and
streams. Underground water is found in large aquifers located below the surface of
the earth.
(ii) We are facing water scarcity in most parts of the country because of
 Increase in population and urbanisation

www.topperlearning.com 3
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

 Discharge of effluents and dumping of wastes in water bodies

(d) (i) Rainwater harvesting is the method of collecting and storing rainwater before it
reaches the ground. Generally, rainwater is collected from the roof top through
pipes and stored in underground storage structures.
(ii) Rainwater harvesting helps water conservation and recharges the groundwater
table.
(iii) Two water harvesting techniques practised in India are ‘Johads’ in central India
and ‘Kuhl’ in Western Himalayas.

Answer 7
(a) Advantages of non-conventional sources of energy over conventional sources:
 Non-conventional sources are renewable sources of energy as they can be
replenished. Conventional sources of energy are non-renewable sources of
energy. It means that once exhausted, they cannot be replenished.
 Non-conventional sources such as wind and water energy are cleaner
sources of energy, while conventional sources such as coal and petrol cause
pollution.
(b) (i) One advantage of natural gas over petrol is that it results in less carbon emission
and hence is a cleaner source of energy.
(ii)Mumbai High is an offshore field of India.
(c) (i) Copper is used in automobiles and defence industries.
(ii)Biogas is a clean, non-polluting and cheap source of energy.
(iii)Manganese toughens steel and makes it rust-proof.
(d) (i) The mineral obtained from bauxite is aluminium. Aluminium is light in weight
and hence is used in making aircraft, rail compartments/wagons and ships.
(ii) The Bhakra dam provides power to both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Answer 8
(a) (i) Tea is grown on hill slopes because standing water is harmful for the tea crop.
Water does not collect on the hill slopes.
(ii) Tea bushes have to be pruned at regular intervals to maintain the height and
diameter of the plant.
(b) (i) Cultivation of rice requires a lot of manual labour because it is mainly sown in
India by drilling, dibbling and transplanting methods. These methods are labour
intensive. Also, most of the work in rice fields are done by hand.
(ii)Two geographical conditions which suit the cultivation of rice are a mean
temperature of 24°C and an annual rainfall of 150 cm.
(c) (i) Cotton is labour intensive because labour is required for thinning out cotton
seedlings and the ground has to be cleared of weeds. Labour is also needed for
picking cotton, ginning, pressing and packing.
(ii)Jute is retted (by submerging it in ponds and special tanks) after being harvested
to soften the outer bark and to facilitate the early removal of fibres.

www.topperlearning.com 4
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

(iii) Growing of pulses is important in India because it is a very important part of

the Indian diet. Moreover, pulses are leguminous plants, i.e. they fix nitrogen in the
soil.
(d) (i)Agriculture is important in India because it provides food for the growing
population of the country and fodder for the livestock.
(ii) Two main agricultural seasons in India are ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ seasons.
(iii) Cultivation of crops and raising of animals simultaneously is called mixed
farming. It ensures steady income to farmers.

Answer 9
(a) (i) Tata Iron and Steel Company is a private sector company in India.
(ii)Its iron and steel plant gets its supply of
1. Iron ore from Gurumahisani mines in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and
Noamundi mines in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
2. Manganese from Joda mines in Keonjhar district.
3. Coal from Jharia and Bokaro coal fields.
(b) Two problems faced by cotton textile industries of India:
 Most of the machinery installed in cotton mills are outdated and need
replacement.
 The cotton industry is facing tough competition from the fibre industry.
(c) (i) Silk industry is performing well in Karnataka because it has favourable climate
for rearing silk worms. The state has several silk farms which have facilitated the
growth of the silk industry.
(ii)Petrochemical products are gaining popularity in modern times because they are
cost effective, economically stable and cheaper as they are produced on a mass
scale.
(iii) The electronic industry has tremendously contributed to the field of education.
Computers help students in conducting research. India has been successful in the
use of satellites for educational purposes.
(d) (i) Bangalore is called ‘The Electronics Capital of India’.
(ii) The Rourkela steel plant was set up with German collaboration.
(iii) Press-mud is a byproduct of the sugar industry which is used in the
manufacture of wax and shoe polish.

Answer 10
(a) Means of transport are called lifelines of a nation’s economy because
 It links interior regions to other parts of the country. This helps in utilisation of
resources.
 It helps in the process of industrialisation and urbanisation.

(b) Rail transport is useful for the people of India in the following ways:
 Railways have facilitated the easy and quick movement of people from one
part of the country to another.

www.topperlearning.com 5
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

 It is an affordable means of transport for the people. It is not as expensive as

airways.
(c) (i) Inland waterways help in transporting bulky goods from one part of the country
to the other.
(ii)Roads can be easily built in hilly regions. They also provide door-to-door
services.
(iii)One disadvantage of water transport is that it is dependent on the weather and
long travel may cause sea sickness.
(d) Airways are becoming a popular means of transport in modern India because
 Air travel is the fastest and a comfortable means of transport.
 Aeroplanes cross mountains, rivers, deserts and oceans with ease.
 During natural calamities, floods or landslides, people can be easily airlifted
and taken to safe destinations.

Answer 11
(a) There is a need for safe disposal of wastes because
 If the wastes are not safely disposed, then a number of pathogenic bacteria, viruses
and fungi can grow in the wastes. This may even result in the outbreak of epidemics.
 Decomposed wastes release harmful gases which pollute the air.
(b) Waste could be reused or used again to protect the environment. Many materials in homes
or factories are discarded. It is essential to reuse waste to minimise pollution.
For example, shoes, sandals and slippers can be made from old tyres. Fly ash from power
plants can be used as a substitute for cement.
(c) Impact of waste accumulation on
(i) Aquatic life: Large quantities of harmful substances like pesticides and insecticides
increase in the food chain of marine and aquatic organisms which are in turn consumed by
other living beings in the process known as biomagnification. The phenomenon of
concentrated toxic deposition at the higher trophic level in the food chain is known as bio-
accumulation.
(i) Terrestrial life: Waste accumulation attracts insects, rats and other animals
which spread diseases. This may harm both humans and animals.
(ii) Landscape: Waste accumulation ruins the natural beauty of the landscape.
Apart from this, it also becomes the thriving ground for rats and other disease-
carrying germs.
(d) (i) Segregation: Wastes are segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable
materials before disposal into separate bins. Biodegradable wastes can also be
converted to useful products like biogas.
(ii) 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 the microorganisms into humus
which adds to the fertility of the soil.
(iii)Dumping: Wastes are dumped in open spaces located far away from the limits
of the city. This kind of waste disposal is not safe and has many limitations. The

www.topperlearning.com 6
 ICSE | Geography
ICSE Board Paper 2018

dumping of different types of wastes makes dumping grounds a breeding ground of

mosquitoes, flies etc.

www.topperlearning.com 7