Read the passage given below –
1. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages, life didn’t grind to a halt. Why? Because Chewang Norphel, a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir government came up with the idea of artificial glaciers.
2. Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000-3,500 meters above sea level, has a low average annual rainfall rate of 50mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India. But over the years with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought situations. Given the severe winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited to one harvest season.
3. It is located between the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to the village and lowest in altitude melts first, providing water during April/May, the crucial sowing season. Further layers of ice above melt with increasing temperature thus ensuring continuous supply to the fields. Thus, farmers have been able to manage two crops instead of one. It costs about Rs.1, 50, 000 and above to create one.
4. Fondly called the “glacier man”, Mr. Norphel has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the Padma Shri by President Pranab Mukherjee, in 2015.
5. There are few basic steps followed in creating the artificial glacier.
6. River or stream water at higher altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter/November, the diverted water is made to flow onto sloping hill face through distribution channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the flow of water, making shallow pools and freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accumulation of ice which is referred to as an “artificial glacier”. (349 words)
Adaptedfrom:https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-himalayan-solution/article7927749.ece)
1.1 Attempt any eight of the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read.
1. Who was Chewang Norphel?
2. What kind of landform is Ladakh?
3. Why have Glaciers been the only source of water for Ladakh?
4. Why has the pattern of snowfall and rainfall changed?
5. How are Glaciers significant for irrigation?
6. How do farmers manage to grow two crops instead of one?
7. In which year did President Pranab Mukherjee confer Padmashri to Mr. Norphel?
8. How many months does the ice formation continue for?
9. Find the word in the paragraph 6 which means the same as ‘gathering’?
1. Chewang Norphel was a retired civil engineer by profession from Jammu and Kashmir government who gave the innovative idea of artificial glaciers to solve the water shortages problem in and around Leh. And thereafter he was called as ‘glacier man’.
2. Ladakh is located at an altitude of 3,000-3,500 meters above the sea level with a low average annual rainfall of 50mm. Glacier is the only source of water for the people of Ladakh. It is a cold desert wherein agriculture is dependent completely on glaciers melt.
3. Glaciers have been the only source of water for the people of Ladakh because the region receives a very low average annual rainfall. Also, Ladakh, unlike other regions, is not dependent on river or monsoon. Agriculture is dependent solely on the glaciers melt.
4. Because of the continuous change in climatic conditions, the patterns of snowfall and rainfall have been changing over the years which resulted in severe shortage and drought situations. But in the case of severe climatic conditions, farming is restricted to just one harvest season.
5. Glaciers are significant for irrigation because the region is located between the natural glacier above and the village level below. So, the layer lowest in altitude melts first thereby providing water in the crucial sowing season. Also, the farming is completely dependent on glacier melt.
6. The layers in lowest altitude provide water during April/May and the layers in higher altitude melt with increasing temperature thereby providing continuous water supply to the fields. Thus, with over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh, the farmers manage to grow two crops instead of one.
7. Since 1987, Mr. Norphel has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh. So, he was honored with Padmashri by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015 for his efforts. He was also nicknamed as ‘glacier man’ for his commendable contribution for the region and making farming easy.
8. At higher altitude, river or stream are diverted to a shaded area and are made to flow onto the sloping hill. Embankments are built at regular intervals for an accumulation of ice for around 3 – 4 months when a cascade of ice is formed along the slope. Thus, this technique of ice formation is often referred to as ‘artificial glacier’.
9. ‘Accumulation’ means the acquisition or gradual gathering of something. So, ‘accumulation’ is the word in paragraph 6 which means the same as ‘gathering’. Here, in this paragraph, this is being used for the gathering of water in an embankment for the ice formation thereby creating artificial glacier.
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