Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Biocomposting indirectly benefits civic authorities.
Reason (R): Heavy use of chemical fertilisers has caused chemical contamination of water bodies, including the ground water system.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Assertion (A): Biocomposting indirectly benefits civic authorities. — True. Civic authorities gain from biocomposting.
Reason (R): Heavy use of chemical fertilisers has caused chemical contamination of water bodies, including the ground water system. — True. Chemical fertilisers have polluted water bodies and ground water.
Why R does not explain A?
R explains why farmers are going back to compost. It does not say how civic authorities gain. The real reason for A is that organic wastes are turned into compost, so the authorities have to dispose of a smaller quantity of waste.
NCERT (2026-27): “7.5 Strategies for Sustainable Development … Biocomposting: In our quest to increase agricultural production during the last five decades or so, we almost totally neglected the use of compost and completely switched over to chemical fertilisers. The result is that large tracts of productive land have been adversely affected, water bodies including ground water system have suffered due to chemical contamination and demand for irrigation has been going up year after year. Farmers, in large numbers all over the country, have again started using compost made from organic wastes of different types. In certain parts of the country, cattle are maintained only because they produce dung which is an important fertiliser and soil conditioner. Earthworms can convert organic matter into compost faster than the normal composting process. This process is now being widely used. Indirectly, the civic authorities are benefited too as they have to dispose reduced quantity of waste.” |