Contour Bunding (or contour ploughing/terracing) is a highly effective agricultural technique used to prevent soil erosion and conserve water, especially in hilly or sloping areas. It is an important topic in Class 10 Geography.
Purpose: Prevent soil erosion and conserve water.
Location: Used on sloping or hilly land.
Mechanism: Creating horizontal barriers (bunds) across the slope.
Benefit: Slows water runoff and allows water infiltration.
When rain falls on a sloping hill, the water rushes downwards very fast. This fast-moving water washes away the fertile topsoil (this is called sheet erosion or gully erosion). Over time, the land becomes barren.
Instead of ploughing straight up and down the hill (which creates channels for water to rush down), farmers build small earthen banks (bunds) or plough lines horizontally across the slope, following the natural contour lines of the hill.
The Effect: These horizontal bunds act like speed breakers. They:
Contour bunding and terracing are extensively used in hilly regions like the Himalayas, North-East India, and the Western Ghats to grow crops like tea, potatoes, and rice.
Contour bunding is a soil conservation technique where earthen ridges or plough lines are made horizontally across a slope, following its contours, to prevent water from washing away the topsoil.
By ploughing horizontally across the slope rather than up and down, it creates natural speed breakers that slow down rainwater runoff, giving water time to soak into the ground and trapping the fertile soil.
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