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Read the extract given below and answer any five out of the six questions:
In India, coal is the most abundantly available fossil fuel. It provides a substantial part of the nation’s energy needs. It is used for power generation, to supply energy to industry as well as for domestic needs. India is highly dependent on coal for meeting its commercial energy requirements. As you are already aware that coal is formed due the compression of plant material over millions of years. Coal, therefore, is found in a variety of forms depending on the degrees of compression and the depth and time of burial. Decaying plants in swamps produce peat which has a low carbon and high moisture contents and low heating capacity. Lignite is a low grade brown coal, which is soft with high moisture content. The principal lignite reserves are in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu and are used for generation of electricity. Coal that has been buried deep and subjected to increased temperatures is bituminous coal. It is the most popular coal in commercial use. Metallurgical coal is high grade bituminous coal which has a special value for smelting iron in blast furnaces. Anthracite is the highest quality hard coal. In India coal occurs in rock series of two main geological ages, namely Gondwana, a little over 200 million years in age and in tertiary deposits which are only about 55 million years old. Themajor resources of Gondwana coal, which are metallurgical coal, are located in Damodar valley (West Bengal-Jharkhand). Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro are important coalfields. The Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and Wardha valleys also contain coal deposits. Tertiary coals occur in the north eastern states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Remember coal is a bulky material, which loses weight on use as it is reduced to ash. Hence, heavy industries and thermal power stations are located on or near the coalfields.
Question 1(i)
Name the fossil fuel which is most abundantly available in India.
Answer:
In India, coal is the most abundantly available fossil fuel.
Question 1(ii)
Mention a few uses of coal.
Answer:
It is used for power generation, to supply energy to industry as well as for domestic needs.
Question 1(iii)
Why is coal important for our country’s economy?
Answer:
India is highly dependent on coal for meeting its commercial energy requirements. Coal is important for our economy as it provides affordable electricity to households, businesses, transportation systems, and services for our economy.
Question 1(iv)
How many forms of coal are there?
Answer:
There are 4 types of coal : Peat, Lignite, Bituminous and Anthracite.
Question 1(v)
How is coal extracted?
Answer:
Coal is extracted through surface or underground mining.
Question 1(vi)
Why are heavy industries and thermal power stations are located on or near the coalfields.
Answer:
Coal is a bulky material, which loses weight on use as it is reduced to ash. Hence, heavy industries and thermal power stations are located on or near the coalfields.
