Question

What percentage of the total land area of India is covered by alluvial soils?

• A. About 25 percent
• B. About 30 percent
• C. About 40 percent
• D. About 50 percent

Answer 1

Answer:

C. About 40 percent

Alluvial soils

• Alluvial soils are deposotional soils transported and deposited by rivers and streams. It is spread over 15 lac km2 area of the country, which constitutes about 40 percent of total land area of the country.

• This is the most widely spread and important soil. In fact, the entire Northern Plains are made of alluvial Soil

• These have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

• These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor.

• The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. As we move inland towards the river valleys, soil particles appear somewhat bigger in size

• Apart from the size of their grains or components, soils are also described on the basis of their age. According to their age, alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar).

• The Bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the Bangar.

• Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime, which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops. Due to their high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

• Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile