RAS question
Which soil conservation technique is common in the Aravalli region?
Correct answer: (C) Contour bunding and terracing.
Contour bunding and terracing are common soil-conservation techniques in the hilly Aravalli region because they slow runoff and reduce soil erosion on slopes.
Explanation
The correct technique is contour bunding and terracing. The hilly Aravalli region is linked with contour bunding, terracing and check dams to prevent soil erosion. The verified Rajasthan watershed DPR supports the same logic: it treats soil and water conservation as central to watershed management, lists bunds and terraces among the major mechanical interventions, and explains that bunds convert a long slope into shorter sections to reduce the velocity and erosive power of runoff. Bench terraces are used for cultivating sloping areas by turning them into a series of platforms, and such measures are popular in hill areas. That is why option C fits the terrain and the conservation objective.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Canal lining is an irrigation-efficiency measure, not the slope-based soil-conservation response described for the hilly Aravalli region.
- (B) Mulching can help reduce erosion, but the question asks for the common primary technique in this terrain, where contour bunding and terracing are identified.
- (D) Sand dune fixation addresses desert dune movement, whereas the Aravalli context in the question is hilly terrain with runoff-driven soil erosion.
Concept
This tests soil conservation under Rajasthan geography, especially matching conservation methods to terrain. RAS repeats this idea because erosion-control measures differ between hills, irrigated tracts and desert landscapes.