India’s forests are unevenly distributed. Even so, what do they provide?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Green cover for a majority of the population and natural cover for wildlife
India’s forests are unevenly distributed. Even so, they provide green cover for most of the people and natural cover for the country’s wildlife.
Option (1) Green cover for a majority of the population and natural cover for wildlife — Correct. This is what the forests provide.
Option (2) Most of the raw material used by the country’s textile industries — Incorrect. Textile industries depend on cotton grown on the black soil of the Deccan.
Option (3) Most of the fresh water used for irrigation in the plains — Incorrect. Fresh water comes from India’s hundreds of rivers and tributaries; forests are not given as its source.
Option (4) Large deposits of coal and natural gas — Incorrect. Coal and natural gas are mineral deposits found beneath the land, not products of forests.
NCERT (2026-27): “7.3 State of India’s Environment India has abundant natural resources in terms of rich quality of soil, hundreds of rivers and tributaries, lush green forests, plenty of mineral deposits beneath the land surface, vast stretch of the Indian Ocean, ranges of mountains, etc. The black soil of the Deccan Plateau is particularly suitable for cultivation of cotton, leading to concentration of textile industries in this region. The Indo-Gangetic plains — spread from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal — are one of the most fertile, intensively cultivated and densely populated regions in the world. India’s forests, though unevenly distributed, provide green cover for a majority of its population and natural cover for its wildlife. Large deposits of iron-ore, coal and natural gas are found in the country. …” |