CBSE Class 10 Science 2017 · Paper 31/1 · Question 6

(1) It recharges the ground water. Rain water that would otherwise run off is held back in ponds, check dams, khadins and similar structures and soaks into the ground, raising the water table, so the wells of the area are recharged and water lasts into the dry season. Water stored under the ground does not evaporate, spreads out to give moisture to vegetation over a wide area, does not provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and is relatively protected from contamination by human and animal waste. (2) The community manages its own water. The structures are small and local and are looked after by the people who use them, so control over the water stays with them; giving people control over their local water resources reduces mismanagement and over-exploitation, and the benefits stay with the people of the area.