Question

Two statements are given below. They are Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct option.

Assertion (A) : In India, the per capita availability of water is continuously decreasing.

Reason (R) : Greater increase in population and degradation of water resources are the main reasons.

• A. Assertion (A) is correct, but Reason (R) is incorrect.
• B. Assertion (A) is incorrect, but Reason (R) is correct.
• C. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
• D. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Hint:

Per capita water falls when population rises and usable water is degraded. Reason explains Assertion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the concept:
Per capita availability of water means the total usable water of the country divided by its population.
So it falls when the population rises or when the usable water shrinks because of overuse and pollution.

Step 2: Check Assertion (A):
In India the population keeps growing, but the total renewable water stays about the same.
Because of this, the water available to each person goes down year after year. So (A) is TRUE.

Step 3: Check Reason (R):
A larger population needs more water for drinking, farming and industry.
Pollution of rivers and groundwater, and falling water tables, reduce the usable water. So (R) is TRUE.

Step 4: Does R explain A?:
More people sharing a limited supply, along with degradation of the supply, directly lowers the per person share.
So (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Step 5: Why the other options are wrong:
Option (A) says R is incorrect, but R is correct. Option (B) says A is incorrect, but A is correct.
Option (D) says R is not the explanation, but it is the direct cause of the fall.

Final Answer:
Both A and R are correct and R explains A, so option (C) is right.