In a movement in the Himalayan foothills, villagers, including many women, hugged trees to stop government contractors from felling them. What had cutting down natural forests resulted in, in that region?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Floods and landslides
Option (1) Droughts and famines — Incorrect. Droughts and famines come from a long failure of rain and crops. The harm linked to tree felling in these hills was the opposite: too much water rushing down bare slopes.
Option (2) Floods and landslides — Correct. This is the Chipko Movement. Cutting down natural forests was a form of environmental destruction, and in that region it led to devastating floods and landslides.
Option (3) Cloudbursts and avalanches — Incorrect. Cloudbursts and avalanches are sudden weather and snow events in the mountains. They arise from heavy rain or snowfall, and felling trees has no part in causing them.
Option (4) Forest fires and heat waves — Incorrect. Forest fires and heat waves are not the result tied to the cutting of these forests. The loss of tree cover there loosened the soil and let water run off, which brought floods and landslides.
NCERT (2026-27): “8.4 Ecological Movements … |