Question

The main cause of land degradation in Punjab is __________.
a.Intensive cultivation
b.Over irrigation
c.Deforestation
d.Overgrazing

Answer 1

Hint: The degradation of land quality in Punjab is mainly due to increased salinity of land which is a direct result of poor scientific practices of agriculture.

Complete answer: The options in the question present the causes of degradation of land quality. Hence, we need to look at the options one by one to reach the correct answer.
a.Intensive cultivation: The soils in Punjab are very fertile and are suitable for intensive cultivation of food crops. Also, these soils can help the cash crops to grow. Hence, intensive cultivation cannot cause the degradation of soil and land in Punjab as they are meant for it. So, it is an incorrect option.
b.Over irrigation: Since a large number of farmers now use tubewells for the irrigation of their fields, they potentially over irrigate the land to save the frequency of irrigation and also to make the soil suitable for higher moisture required crops. This leads to an increased level of salinity in the soil which degrades the quality of soil. So, it is the correct option.
c.Deforestation: Since the state of Punjab doesn't have too many forest lands, not ,uch of land has been lost due to deforestation. On the lands cleared of forests, cultivation is being done in a huge quantity so it helps in preventing erosion of soil. So, it is an incorrect option.
d.Overgrazing: Overgrazing impacts if the land is kept barren for a long period of time which is not a case with Punjab. Since the land is Punjab is generally cultivated land, overgrazing has minimal effects on the land quality of Punjab. So, it is an incorrect option.

So, the correct answer is option b.

Note: Over irrigation is a result of increased stress on the land to produce more quantity of crops in a limited area to feed the huge population of India. Hence, more scientific practices need to be followed.