Which of the following points about urban waste are correct?
A. All Indian cities collect and dispose more than 95 percent of their solid waste.
B. Solid wastes cause health hazard.
C. Untreated wastes ferment slowly and release toxic biogas to the atmosphere.
D. It leads to water pollution.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → B, C, D only
A. All Indian cities collect and dispose more than 95 percent of their solid waste. — Incorrect. Only metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru collect and dispose about 90 per cent of their solid waste. In most other cities and towns, 30 to 50 per cent of the waste is left uncollected. NTA changed the words and the number of the book, and a true line became false. Read every word before you mark the answer.
B. Solid wastes cause health hazard. — Correct. They give out a foul smell and harbour flies and rodents, which carry diseases like typhoid, malaria and cholera.
C. Untreated wastes ferment slowly and release toxic biogas to the atmosphere. — Correct. Untreated waste releases toxic biogas, including methane.
D. It leads to water pollution. — Correct. Industrial waste from urban centres is dumped into rivers, and this pollutes the water.
Note: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. The book does not say in clear words that urban waste leads to water pollution. It says that the dumping of industrial waste from the urban centres into rivers leads to water pollution.
NCERT (2026-27): “The huge turn out of ashes and debris from industries, thermal power houses and building constructions or demolitions have posed problems of serious consequences. Solid wastes cause health hazard through creation of obnoxious smell, and harbouring of flies and rodents, which act as carriers of diseases like typhoid, diphtheria, diarrhoea, malaria and cholera, etc.” “Concentration of industrial units in and around urban centres gives rise to disposal of industrial wastes. The dumping of industrial waste into rivers leads to water pollution.” “Urban waste disposal is a serious problem in India. In metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, etc., about 90 per cent of the solid waste is collected and disposed. But in most of other cities and towns in the country, about 30 to 50 per cent of the waste generated are left uncollected which accumulate on streets, in open spaces between houses and in wastelands leading to serious health hazards. These wastes should be treated as resource and utilised for generating energy and compost. Untreated wastes ferment slowly and release toxic biogas to the atmosphere, including methane.” |