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4. What is the influence of the Himalayas on Indian agriculture ?
(T.Q.) AS, 4 Marks
If the Himalayas would not have been in its present position, how would be the
Indian agriculture ?
Agriculture plays an important role in India. Give reasons.
What is the role of Himalayas in country's economic development ?
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Answers
Answer:
1. Climatic Influence:
The Himalayas play a very significant role in influencing the climate of India. By virtue of their high altitude, length and direction, they effectively intercept the summer monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and cause precipitation in the form of rain or snow.
Climatic Influence
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Besides, they prevent the cold continental air masses of central Asia from entering into India. Had there been no Himalayas, the whole of India would have been a desert in the absence of precipitation and its winters would have been very severe under the influence of cold airmasses coming from Central Asia. According to the latest meteorological studies, the Himalayas are responsible for splitting the jet stream into two branches and these in turn play an extremely important role in bring monsoons in India.
2. Defence:
The Himalayas have been protecting India from outside invaders since the early times thus serving as a defence barrier. But the Chinese aggression on India in October, 1962 has reduced the defence significance of the Himalayas to a considerable extent. In spite of advancement in modem warfare technology, the defence significance of the Himalayas cannot be ignored altogether.
Defence
3. Source of Rivers:
Almost all the great rivers of India have their sources in the Himalayan ranges. Abundant rainfall and vast snow-fields as well as large glaciers are the feeding grounds of the mighty rivers of India. Snow melt in summer provides water to these rivers even during dry season and these are perennial rivers. The Himalayan Rivers, along with hundreds of their tributaries, form the very basis of life in the whole of north India.
Source of Rivers
4. Fertile Soil:
The great rivers and their tributaries carry enormous quantities of alluvium while descending from the Himalayas. This is deposited in the Great Plain of North India in the form of fertile soil, making the plain one of the most fertile lands of the world.
Fertile Soil
It has been estimated that the Ganga and the Indus carry 19 and 10 lakh tonnes of silt, per day respectively and the silt carried by the Brahmaputra is even more. It is, therefore, often said that the great plain of north India is a Gift of the Himalayas.