Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2013 UPSC Prelims Geography paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims Geography?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims Geography, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2013 question covers Soil & Land Degradation – Desertification & Remediation topic.

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This UPSC Prelims 2013 Geography question has a hard difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

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You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: D — None of the aboveStep-by-step Solution:Contour bunding is a soil and water conservation technique used on sloping/hilly agricultural land — none of which is described in options A, B, or C.What contour bunding is: Contour bunding involves the construction of small earthen embankments (bunds) along the contour lines (lines of equal elevation) of a slope. These bunds are placed horizontally across the slope, at right angles to the direction of water runoff. The bunds slow down and impound rainfall runoff, allowing it to percolate into the soil rather than flowing rapidly downslope. This conserves both water and soil.Benefits: Reduces soil erosion by water runoff (prevents the 'sheet erosion' and 'rill erosion' that would otherwise carry topsoil downslope); increases water infiltration into the soil (improving moisture availability for crops); reduces the velocity of runoff; prevents formation of gullies; improves crop yields in dryland areas.Conditions where used: Contour bunding is used on sloping hillside agricultural lands — typically on slopes of 1-6% gradient; in semi-arid and dryland farming areas; in rainfed agriculture where water conservation is critical.Why options A, B, C are wrong: Desert margins with wind erosion require wind erosion control measures (windbreaks, shelter belts, dune stabilisation) — not contour bunds. Low flat plains near streams with flooding require embankments, levees, or floodplain management — not contour bunds (which require a slope gradient to be meaningful). Scrublands with weed growth require vegetation management — not contour bunds. None of these three contexts involves the sloping terrain that contour bunding addresses.Key Concept: Soil conservation techniques: (1) Contour bunding — sloping agricultural land, semi-arid areas; (2) Terrace farming — steep slopes, reduces effective slope length and gradient; (3) Windbreaks/shelterbelts — desert areas, wind erosion control; (4) Strip cropping — alternating strips of crops and grass, reduces runoff; (5) Gully plugging — filling gullies with stones/check dams; (6) Afforestation/revegetation — degraded lands; (7) Agrostological/grass farming — grasses to protect soil; (8) Mulching — covering soil surface. Integrated Watershed Management: combines multiple techniques (check dams, contour bunds, percolation ponds, afforestation) at the watershed scale. National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) and PMKSY (Watershed component) implement these techniques across India.

Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in

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Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in

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