Identify the non-conventional source of energy.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Wind power
India depends heavily on thermal and hydro power plants, and both harm the environment. Thermal plants burn fossil fuels and give out carbon dioxide. Non-conventional sources are the newer sources being tapped in their place.
Wind power is one of these. Wind turbines move with the wind and generate electricity without any adverse impact on the environment.
Note: The sentence calling wind energy a non-conventional source is from the chapter ‘Infrastructure’, which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT. This chapter has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (2026-27): “7.5 Strategies for Sustainable Development Use of Non-conventional Sources of Energy: India, as you know, is hugely dependent on thermal and hydro power plants to meet its power needs. Both of these have adverse environmental impacts. Thermal power plants emit large quantities of carbon dioxide which is a green house gas.… Wind Power: In areas where speed of wind is usually high, wind mills can provide electricity without any adverse impact on the environment. Wind turbines move with the wind and electricity is generated. No doubt, the initial cost is high. But the benefits are such that the high cost gets easily absorbed.…” NCERT (Pre-rationalised), chapter ‘Infrastructure’: “Non-conventional Sources of Energy: Both commercial and non-commercial sources of energy are known as conventional sources of energy. There are three other sources of energy which are commonly termed as non-conventional sources — solar energy, wind energy and tidal power. Being a tropical country, India has almost unlimited potential for producing all three types of energy if some appropriate cost effective technologies are used.…” |