READING 20 marks
OL Read the passage given below:
1. Necessity is the mother of invention when areas in and around Leb began to
ewenende war shortages, life didn't grind to a halt Why? Because Chewang Norphel.
engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir came up with the idea of artificial
2 Ladakh a na deset as an aditude of 3,000-3.500 meters above sea level has a low
verge mail of 50 mm Glaciers have always been the only scarce of water.
Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt, unlike the rest of ried/monsoon-
led India. But over the years, with increasing effects of climate change rainfall and
w patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought
. Given the extreme winter conditions, the window for farming is usually
Lindo one harvest season.
3. is located Serween the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to
telege and west in altitude melts first providing water during April-May, the
cecial sowing season. Further, layer of ice above melt with the increasing temperature,
ensuring continuous supply to the fields. Therefore, farmers have been able to
manage to crops instead of se. It costs 1,50,000 and above to create a glacier.
4. Fondly called the glacier man. Nir. Norphel has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in
and amound Lån since 1987. In recognision of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the
Padma Shri by former President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015.
5. There are a few basic steps followed while creating an artificial glacier. River or stream
water a higher altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the
wie is blociced by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter i.e. in
November, the divened water is made to flow or sloping hills facing distribution
channels Seine embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the flow of
making shallow pools which freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the slope
Ice-Formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accurrulation of ice which is
referred to as an artificial glacier
Answers
Explanation:
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