About this previous year paper
RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION (ECE024)
Section-wise Solved Answers & Notes
SECTION – A (10 × 2 = 20 Marks)
Very short & precise answers
(a) Objective of rural water supply scheme
To provide safe, adequate, and potable water to rural population at affordable cost for drinking, cooking, and basic domestic needs.
(b) Merits of rural water supply system
• Improves public health • Reduces water-borne diseases
• Saves time and labour • Improves living standards
(c) Effects of improper disposal of solid waste
• Spread of diseases • Air, water, and soil pollution
• Breeding of insects and rodents • Bad odour and unhygienic conditions
(d) Disposal of wastewater in an efficient manner
• Septic tanks • Soak pits
• Oxidation ponds • Wastewater treatment plants
• Land disposal after treatment
(e) Factors considered while disposing solid waste • Quantity and composition of waste
• Population density • Climatic conditions
• Availability of land • Cost of disposal
(f) Special wastes & agricultural wastes Special wastes: Biomedical waste, hazardous waste, e-waste
Agricultural wastes: Crop residues, animal dung, husk, straw
(g) Temporary & disposable containers
• Plastic bins • Metal bins
• Paper bags • Polythene bags
(h) Factors affecting storage of solid waste
• Type of waste • Climatic conditions
• Storage duration • Container design
• Frequency of collection
(i) Solid waste management
Solid waste management is the systematic collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of solid waste in a hygienic manner.
(j) Public awareness programmes for SWM
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan • Community awareness camps
• School sanitation programmes
SECTION – B (Any 5 × 10 = 50 Marks)
(a) Low-cost water treatment methods
Low-cost treatment methods suitable for rural areas include:
• Plain sedimentation • Filtration through sand filters
• Boiling • Chlorination
• Use of ceramic filters
These methods are economical, easy to operate, and require minimum maintenance.
(b) Monitoring rural water quality parameters
Water quality is monitored by testing:
• Physical parameters – colour, turbidity, temperature
• Chemical parameters – pH, hardness, chlorides, fluoride
• Biological parameters – coliform bacteria
Regular testing ensures safe drinking water supply.
(c) Wastewater treatment techniques
• Primary treatment – screening, sedimentation
• Secondary treatment – biological treatment (activated sludge, trickling filter)
• Tertiary treatment – filtration, disinfection
These methods reduce pollutants before disposal.
(d) Septic tank design (outline answer)
Given: Users = 150
Peak discharge = 205 lpm Desludging period = 1 year
Steps: Calculate daily wastewater flow
Determine tank volume Provide detention period (24 hrs)
Design dispersion trench for effluent disposal
(Neat sketch to be drawn in exam)
(e) Processing operations in medium & high-rise apartments
• Segregation at source • Storage in bins
• Collection and transportation • Composting of organic waste
• Disposal of residual waste
(f) Special treatment techniques for industrial hygiene
• Neutralization • Chemical precipitation
• Adsorption • Incineration
• Disinfection
These methods ensure safe disposal of industrial wastes.
(g) Processing of solid waste at commercial & industrial facilities
• Segregation • Compaction
• Recycling • Composting
• Secure landfilling
(h) Destruction & Removal Efficiency vs Combustion Efficiency
| Destruction & Removal Efficiency | Combustion Efficiency |
|---|---|
| Measures pollutant destruction | Measures burning efficiency |
| Used in incinerators | Indicates completeness of combustion |
| Expressed in % | Expressed in % |
SECTION – C (Any 2 × 15 = 30 Marks)
Q3
(i) Low-cost water treatment process
Steps: • Collection of raw water
• Sedimentation • Filtration
• Disinfection (chlorination) (Neat labelled sketch must be drawn in exam)
(ii) Wastewater treatment processes • Preliminary treatment
• Primary treatment • Secondary treatment
• Tertiary treatment
Each stage removes specific contaminants.
Q4
Public awareness programmes for waste disposal
• Swachh Bharat Mission • Door-to-door awareness campaigns
• Community participation programmes • School sanitation education
Recommended improvements:
• Better segregation practices • More public participation
• Regular monitoring • Incentives for cleanliness
Q5
(i) Effects of improper solid waste disposal
• Health hazards – cholera, typhoid • Environmental pollution
• Groundwater contamination • Air pollution from burning waste
(ii) Incineration
Incineration is the controlled burning of solid waste at high temperature to reduce volume and destroy pathogens.
Advantages:
• Reduces waste volume • Destroys harmful organisms
Disadvantages:
• High cost • Air pollution if not controlled