Human activities like over cultivation, unrestricted grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices result into _____________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Soil erosion and desertification
Option (1) Water Logging — Incorrect. Waterlogging comes from irrigation without proper drainage; it is one of the causes, not the result of all four activities.
Option (2) Soil erosion and desertification — Correct. These activities remove the fertile top-soil and leave arid patches. When the barren patches grow and meet, a desert forms.
Option (3) Biomagnification — Incorrect. Biomagnification is the rise of a toxic substance such as DDT along a food chain.
Option (4) Eutrophication — Incorrect. Eutrophication is the nutrient enrichment and ageing of a lake.
Note: This question is from Chapter 16, Environmental Issues, of the pre-rationalised NCERT book. This chapter is not in the present NCERT book (2026-27). The extract below is from the pre-rationalised edition.
NCERT Extract (Pre-rationalised edition, Chapter 16, Environmental Issues):
Degradation by Improper Resource Utilisation and Maintenance – “… Soil erosion and desertification: The development of the fertile top-soil takes centuries. But, it can be removed very easily due to human activities like over-cultivation, unrestricted grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices, resulting in arid patches of land. When large barren patches extend and meet over time, a desert is created.”