Question

What were the negative impacts of new irrigation technologies on the environment?

• A. Depletion in the quantity of groundwater
• B. Irrigation of large areas of land
• C. Overconsumption of water due to ease of irrigation
• D. Deterioration of the quality of groundwater

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (C), (D)

Deterioration of the quality of groundwater

Initially, irrigation in many regions was done using a Mota Bavi, which could only irrigate a few acres of land. As technology improved, power-driven pumps enabled farmers to irrigate larger areas of land, increasing water consumption. However, this consumption exceeded the rate of replenishment of groundwater. As a result, the groundwater levels depleted.

Additionally, the quality of the groundwater deteriorated due to the excess use of chemical pestisides and fertilisers.