Our Environment And Its Management Test - 2

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable. Forests are rich in diverse types of animals and plants. Hence, biodiversity is greater in forests.

Coliform bacteria mainly come from human excreta. Domestic sewage contains faecal matter. Waste from others, mentioned in options, do not contain human excreta.

The Government of India has recently instituted an 'Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award for Wildlife Conservation' in the memory of Amrita Devi Bishnoi, who in 1731 sacrificed her life along with 363 others for the protection of 'khejri' trees in Khejrali village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

In future, ecological balance can be maintained only if human beings do not destroy the environment by deforestation or pollution. This is important for the nature to maintain its own balance.

Underground water does not act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, rather it is important in recharging wells as it does not evaporate. Underground water provides moisture for vegetation.

Ozone layer is not depleted by construction of large dams. Ozone is depleted by the use of chlorofluorocarbons.

Watershed management emphasises scientific soil and water conservation in order to increase biomass production. Watershed management not only increases the production and income of the watershed community, but also mitigates droughts and floods and increases the life of the downstream dam and reservoirs.

Bishnoi community belongs to Rajasthan. This community has been religiously involved in the conservation of forests and wildlife.

The management of resources must ensure their equitable distribution so that all and not just a handful of rich and powerful people benefit from the development of these resources. The management of resources should take care of the environment taking into consideration safe disposal of wastes. All these require long-term planning and goals.

Many human activities like bathing, washing of clothes, and immersion of ashes or unburnt corpses has polluted the river Ganga over a number of years. So, to avoid this, the Ganga Action Plan was started by the Central Pollution Control Board to clean the river to reduce pollution and install water treatment plants.