CAPF AC 2021 Q85: Geography – Indian Agriculture & Land Use
- (a) Peaty soil
- (b) Alluvial soil
- (c) Laterite soil
- (d) Arid soil
Answer: (d) Arid soil
Explanation
Arid soils of India
How to think: salt collects in soil where evaporation is far more than rainfall.
That is the desert.
NCERT says of arid soils: in some areas the salt content is so high that common salt is obtained by evaporating the saline water.
| Soil | Main feature | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Arid soil | Sandy, saline, low humus; kankar layer below | Western Rajasthan |
| Alluvial soil | Fertile river deposits | Northern plains, deltas |
| Laterite soil | Leached by heavy rain; rich in iron and aluminium | Western Ghats, Odisha, north-east |
| Peaty soil | Rich in organic matter, waterlogged | Kerala, Sundarbans, parts of Bihar |
Extra fact: the lower layers of arid soil have kankar (calcium carbonate) nodules that stop water from sinking in.
With irrigation, as in the Indira Gandhi Canal area, these soils become cultivable.
Answer: (d) Arid soil.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Peaty soil is waterlogged and rich in organic matter, not in salt.
- (b) Incorrect. Alluvial soil is fertile river deposit with little salt.
- (c) Incorrect. Laterite soil is leached by heavy rain, the opposite of salt build-up.
- (d) CORRECT. In arid soils the salt content is high enough to yield common salt.
Key point
Arid soils: red to brown, sandy, saline, low in humus and moisture, kankar layer in the lower horizons; western Rajasthan. Salt is obtained by evaporating saline water in some areas (NCERT).
Remember
Arid soil: so saline that salt is made from its water.
Common mistakes
- Marking laterite, which loses its salts through heavy leaching.
- Mixing up arid soils with the saline (usara) soils listed separately in Class XI.
- Thinking salt in India comes only from sea water and never from inland soils.
Exam tip
Educated guess: think of Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, India's largest inland salt source. Salt and desert go together.
Sources
- NCERT Class X Geography — Contemporary India II, Chapter 1: Resources and Development (arid soils)
- NCERT Class XI Geography — India: Physical Environment, Chapter 6: Soils