AKS 50a - Geography of South Asia

Into what country does the Ganges River flow after it leaves India?

• China

• Pakistan

• Bangladesh

• Afghanistan

Where does the Ganges River flow into the sea?

• Yellow Sea

• Sea of Japan

• Bay of Bengal

• East China Sea

Which is true about the Ganges River?

• The river is ignored by Indian religious festivals

• People do not drink the water because it is so polluted

• Many people use the river for transportation as well as for a water supply

• Plant and animal life have not been affected by the poor quality of the river's water

How has India's need to develop more industry ended up creating problems along the Ganges River?

• Factories along the river dump industrial waste and chemicals into the river every day.

• No one is allowed to cremate dead bodies along the river since the large factories have been built.

• Industries located along the river use so much water that the Ganges is almost dry by the time it reaches the sea.

• Factory owners have refused to allow the Indians living along the river to bathe in the water or use the water for cooking.

How has the Indian practice of cremating their dead been a problem for the river?

• People are not allowed to go near the river when cremations are taking place.

• The banks along the river regularly catch fire and threaten Indian homes built there.

• Factory owners cannot use water once human ashes have been thrown into it upstream.

• The bodies of dead animals, as well as the ashes of human beings, have been placed in the river causing pollution.

What was the purpose of the Ganges Action Plan begun in the 1980s?

• to try and clean up the river

• to bring an end to the cremations

• to end using the river for drinking water

• to slow down the building of new factories

Why has the Indian government had such a hard time making much progress in cleaning up the Ganges River?

• Most people in India do not feel the river is polluted so they are not worried about it.

• The government of India has not made cleaning up the river one of its goals

• India's combination of growing population and run-off from farming makes it hard to see much progress in controlling pollution.

• Few people have gotten sick from water from the Ganges River, so it is hard to get money for clean up operations.

Why are India's urban areas having a problem with air pollution?

• Few people in India feel that air pollution is a problem.

• There are no government efforts to control air pollution.

• There really is no effective way to control air pollution in the world today.

• Urbanization, heavy industry, and thousands of automobiles have caused the problem.

How is air pollution a problem in rural areas?

• Millions of people cook over wood or coal fires.

• Many heavy industries are relocating to rural areas.

• Poor people living in small villages drive long distances to work in their cars and trucks.

• Waste from nuclear power plants have made the air in rural areas dangerous to breathe.

What has been the effect of heavily polluted "brown clouds" that are now common in some parts of India?

• Rainfall has decreased and temperatures are cooler.

• Heavy rains have led to widespread flooding in India.

• There is an increase in the crops harvested, as they are not burned by the sun.

• The Indian government has decided to reduce the number of cars allowed on India's highways.