PROFILE OF SURVEY MAP 45 D/7

DESCRIPTION of the Area covered by Survey Sheet No. 45 D/7 (Gujarat

and Rajasthan)
This region lies in western India on the borders of Rajasthan and Gujarat
at the southern end of the Aravalli Hills, immediately north-east of Sheet
45 D/10.

District: Banas Kantha and Sirohi

Location: Latitude 24 degree 15 240 30 North

Longitude 720 15 - 720 30 East

RELIEF:
The area is mainly a plain except for:
1. The east central region where the hills rise to almost 500 m.,
2. The lower hills of the north-east corner.
The slope of the land is from north-east to south-west in the northern
half and east to west in the southern portion of the map. (Indicated by
flow of rivers)

DRAINAGE:
1. The Banas river (not to be confused with the Banas river which is a
tributary of the Chambal river to the north) flows into the swampland
area of the Little Rann, north-east of the Gulf of Kutch. On this survey
sheet it flows westward.

2. It has two main right bank tributaries Sarod and Arado Nadis and the
numerous smaller streams like the one entering the river near Chekla
(8192).

3. The only left bank tributary is the Balaram Nadi from the south-east.

4.The Banas river varies in width from 1/4km to over 1 km and has a
narrow perennial water course. The dry portion fills in during the rainy
seas.
5. The Sipu Nadi is a tributary of the Banas river (the confluence) lying to
the west of the area shown. It flows from north-east to south-west with
its two main tributaries Varka and Mahadeviyao Nadis joining the left
bank. Both rise in the hilly region to the east.

In the region there are numerous other streams that join main rivers.
They rise in the higher ground adjacent to the rivers and invariably their
courses show large tracts of broken ground indicating soft soil easily
eroded by water.

SOILS:
Map symbols indicate desert conditions, a large part of the plain area
being sandy.

Soils are soft as shown by excessive erosion causing broken ground

near water courses.

CLIM ATE:
There are three climatic seasons:
Summer hot and dry March to June
Monsoon hot and wet July to September
Winter cool and dry October to February

Temperature and Rainfall:

Maximum temperatures in summer are extremely high rising to over 47
degree C, while minimum temperatures in December/Jan often drops to
almost 0 degree C.

Because of its location in western India, it receives comparatively less

rainfall than other parts of the country.

The rainfall which is between 50 to 100 cm annually falls during the

monsoon season.

High temperatures cause excessive evaporation. This gives rise to

scrub and semi-desert vegetation.
NATURAL VEGETATION:
Hill areas dry deciduous forests of small trees
Plains scrub and thorny trees where there is no agriculture.

IRRIGATION:
This region is dependent on the periodic rainfall (Monsoon), tanks, well
for agriculture. There is only one canal in the north-east starting from
the reservoir (2222)

OCCUPATIONS:
1. Agriculture,

2. Rearing of cattle, sheep, camels and horses.

CROPS:
Winter (Rabi) Wheat, Barley, Cotton
Monsoons (Kharif) Bajra, Jowar, Maize

COMMUNICATIONS:
Except for the main line of the Western Railway and the road that runs
across the south-east corner of the map through Chitrasani (8923), there
are no other important communications. All other settlements are linked
by cart tracks.

SETTLEMENTS:
Except for Chitrasani which is a rail/road centre, all the settlements are
small and widely scattered, chiefly in the lowland area and are either
nucleated or dispersed in pattern.
 PROFILE OF SURVEY MAP 45 D/10

DESCRIPTION of the Area covered by Survey Sheet No. 45 D/10 (Gujarat

and Rajasthan)

This region lies in western India on the borders of Rajasthan and Gujarat
at the southern end of the Aravalli Hills, immediately north-east of Sheet
45 D/7.

District: Banas Kantha and Sirohi

Location: Latitude 24 degree 30 240 45 North Longitude 720 30 -
720 45 East

RELIEF:
The sheet is divided into two distinct physical divisions:
1. The Aravalli Hills rising to a height of over 1400 meters and occupying
the south-east corner. The ranges are more or less parallel and run in a
NE to SW direction.

2. A large plain covers the remaining portion of the sheet. There are
frequent outcrops of rocky ground, some of it rising to over 400 m (i.e.
100 m above the surrounding country side.)

DRAINAGE:

In the hill area, the drainage is radial. Abu being the highest point of the
area is the centre from which the rivers radiate.

In the plains, the upper courses of the rivers are dendritic or fan shaped.

The main stream Sipu Nadi rises in the hills north of Abu and flows in a
south-west direction. It is periodic and seldom exceeds km in width.
TRIBUTARIES:
Right bank: Sukli Nadi, Unda Wala, Dior Nadi,
Left bank: Sukli Nadi, unnamed river flowing past Dhavli, Devengan Nadi
and Godua Nadi

NOTE:
1. There are three Sukli Nadis in the survey sheet.
2. Because this regions lies close to the desert areas where the soils
tend to break up easily, the water courses are numerous and well
defined for they are able to cut channels in the soft sandy soils. They are
however periodic and rely on the rainy season for the water supply.

CLIMATE:
There are three climatic seasons:
1.Summer hot and dry March to June
2.Monsoon hot and wet July to September
3. Winter cool and dry October to February

Temperature and Rainfall:

Maximum temperatures in summer are extremely high rising to over
47degree C, while minimum temperatures in December/Jan often drops
to almost 0 degree C.
Because of its location in western India, it receives comparatively less
rainfall than other parts of the country.
The rainfall which is between 50 to 100 cm annually falls during the
monsoon season.
High temperatures cause excessive evaporation. This gives rise to scrub
and semi-desert vegetation.
NATURAL VEGETATION:
Hill areas dry deciduous forests of small trees
Plains scrub and thorny trees where there is no agriculture.

IRRIGATION:
This region is dependent on the periodic rainfall (Monsoon), tanks, wells
for agriculture.
There is only one canal in the north-east starting from the reservoir
(2222)

OCCUPATIONS:
Agriculture, rearing of cattle, sheep, camels and horses.

CROPS:
Winter (Rabi) Wheat, Barley, Cotton
Monsoons (Kharif) Bajra, Jowar, Maize

COMMUNICATIONS:
Abu, in the hill area, is linked eastwards by two main roads, which run
south-east to Abu Road and north-east to Oriya.
In the south of this region the east-west main road links up at Karaunti
(0700) with another main road which runs parallel to the foot-hills and
connects a number of settlements.
Many of the smaller settlements are linked by cart tracks.

SETTLEMENTS:
Abu is a large hill resort, an administrative and an educational centre. In
the plains, there are numerous settlements of much smaller size of
which Sirori (2023) is the most important.
.
 THE DRAINAGE
The term drainage basin describes an area drained collectively by the
network of a river along with its tributaries and sub-tributaries of various
dimensions.

An area drained by a single river is called its Catchment Area.

A drainage system as seen in the topographical sheets usually

develops a pattern which is related to the general structure of its basin.

3 distinct patterns can be recognized

1)Dendritic:
Dendritic drainage patterns are most common. They
develop on a land surface where the underlying rock offers
uniform resistance to erosion.

Dendritic drainage systems are the most common form of

drainage system. The term dendritic comes from
the Greekword "dendron", meaning tree, due to the
resemblance of the system to a tree.

In a dendritic system there is one main river (like the trunk

of a tree), which was joined and formed by many smaller
tributary rivers. They develop where the river channel
follows the slope of the terrain.

Dendritic systems form in V-shaped valleys; as a result,

the rock types must be impervious and non-porous
 2. TRELLIS

Rectangular drainage patterns develop where linear zones of

weakness, such as joints or faults cause the streams to cut
down along the weak areas in the rock.

Trellis systems form in areas of alternating geology,

particularly chalk and clay. The main river (the consequent)
flows straight down hill.

Subsequent streams develop perpendicular to the consequent

along softer rock and erode it away, forming vales.

The consequent river then cuts through the escarpments of

harder rock.

Consequent streams flow down the deep slope of the

escarpments to join the subsequent streams.
 3. RADIAL

Radial drainage patterns develop in areas of high topography

where elevation drops from a central high area to surrounding
low areas.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF COLOURS IN
TOPOSHEETS
On toposheets colours are used to show certain features. Each
colour used on a map has significance.

1.BLACK All names, river banks, broken ground, dry streams,

surveyed trees, heights and their numbering, railway lines,
telephone and telegraph lines, lines of latitude and longitude.

2. BLUE Water features or water bodies that contain water.

3. GREEN All wooded and forested areas, orchards, scattered

trees and scrubs.
Note: - Prominent surveyed trees are shown in black. Surveyed
trees have numbers on their trunks. They serve as landmarks and
are not allowed to be cut.

4. YELLOW All cultivated areas are shown with a yellow wash.

5. WHITE PATCHES Uncultivable land

6. BROWN Contour lines, their numbering, form lines, and sand

features such as sand hills and dunes.

7. RED Grid lines (eastings and northings) and their numbering,

roads, cart tracks, settlements, huts and buildings.
 SETTLEMENTS
1. On a topo map, all settlements are shown by symbols in RED
colour.

2. The size of the symbol and size and style of letters used give an
idea of the size of the settlement.

3. In the case of large cities, major roads are marked and named.

4. Deserted village cities, temporarily occupied huts are also

shown.

5. Places of worship, forts, water towers, burial grounds, police

stations, post office, dak bungalow, circuit houses, etc. are
indicated by suitable symbols.
NOTE Site is the land on which the settlement (village or town) is
built.

Dense settlements: Fertile plains and wide river valleys.

Sparse Settlements: forests, deserts, mountain slopes, plateaus

and hill tops with poor vegetation

Absence of Settlements: Swamps, marsh land, sandy deserts, thick

impenetrable forests, flood-prone areas, steep mountain slopes.

OCCUPATION AND MAP FEATURES

AGRICULTURE Level land with yellow wash; many wells
LUMBERING: Forests
CATTLE REARING Pastures, meadows, grasslands, presence of road
in highland region (sheep)
FISHING Plenty of rivers
MINING Stony wastes, quaries, limestone beds
TRADE Dense settlements near road
INDUSTRY Large settlements near roads and railways, presence of
raw materials, (like making, cement industry near limestone beds)
TOURISM hotels and inns

APPROXIMATE OR RELATIVE HEIGHT-is height is not taken

from sea level but with respect to the surrounding area. It may be the
height of a dam, bridge, sand dune or it can be the depth of a well, tank,
hill or river canal, for example, 3r, 5r, 8r, etc.
EXAMPLE: 3r - the relative depth of perennial lined well in 3 metres
5r the relative height of dry tank is 5 metres

NOTE: CHECK THE SYMBOL if it is tank, dam, bridge, embankment,

etc then write the answer this way - the relative height
of.............................. is ................meters.

CONTOURS
A contour is a line on a map joining two points of equal height,
and is the standard method of showing relief on a topographical
map.

Contours are shown at regular vertical intervals.

On a 1:50,000 maps the interval is 10 m.

INTERPRETATION OF CONTOURS
The shape of the contours indicates the shape of the ground.

When contours are further apart, the slope is gentle and when
contours are close together the greater the drop.

When contours are equal distance apart the slope is uniform:

a.Contours are continuous. No matter how far they travel, they

always return to where they started. Except for a cliff.

b.When spacing of contours down a slope gets close together at

the bottom, the slope is convex.

c. When spacing is further apart, the slope is concave.

PLOTTING GRID REFERENCES

A grid is a rectangular square system of lines superimposed on a map,
within which any point can be located.

Maps are normally printed so that north is on top.

North / South lines are called Eastings because the numbers increase
as they go east.
East / West lines are called Northings because the numbers increase
as they go North.
 What are Eastings and Northings?
1.Eastings run move left to right; and
2.Northings run bottom to top.

What are the two most important things to remember when

giving a grid?
1.Easting value first; and
2.never round up.

What are the 3 points in determining height?

1. Bench marks;
2.trig points; and
3.spot height.

What is the purpose of a contour line?

Joins points of equal heights.

A topographic map is a type of map characterized by

large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief,
usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but
historically using a variety of methods. Traditional
definitions require a topographic map to show both natural
and man-made features .

The Centre for Topographic Information provides this definition

of a topographic map:"A topographic map is a detailed and
accurate graphic representation of cultural and natural
features on the ground."
According to Cartographer's Kraak and
Ormeling,"Traditionally, the main division of maps is into
topographic and thematic maps. Topographic maps supply
a general image of the earth's surface: roads, rivers,
buildings, often the nature of the vegetation, the relief and
the names of the various mapped objects."
The study or discipline of topography, while interested in
relief, is actually a much broader field of study which takes
into account all natural and man made features of terrain.

Uses
Topographic maps have multiple uses in the present day:
any type of geographic planning or large-
scale architecture; earth sciences and many
other geographic disciplines; mining and other earth-
based endeavours; and recreational uses such
as hiking or, in particular, orienteering, which uses highly
detailed maps in its standard requirements.

There are several rules to note when viewing topographic

maps:

The rule of V's: sharp-pointed vees usually are in stream

valleys, with the drainage channel passing through the
point of the vee, with the vee pointing upstream. This is a
consequence of erosion.

The rule of O's: closed loops are normally uphill on the

inside and downhill on the outside, and the innermost loop
is the highest area. If a loop instead represents a
depression, some maps note this by short lines radiating
from the inside of the loop, called "hachures".
Spacing of contours: close contours indicate a steep
slope; distant contours a shallow slope. Two or more
contour lines merging indicates a cliff.

Of course, to determine differences in elevation between

two points, the contour interval, or distance in altitude
between two adjacent contour lines, must be known, and
this is given at the bottom of the map.

These maps usually show not only the contours, but also
any significantstreams or other bodies
of water, forest cover, built-up areas or individual buildings
(depending on scale), and other features and points of
interest.

Today, topographic maps are prepared

using photogrammetricinterpretation of aerial
photography. Older topographic maps were prepared
using traditional surveying instruments.

In most cases, contour intervals are consistent

throughout a map. Sometimes dashed contour lines are
present; these represent half the noted contour interval.
Understanding Topographical Maps
INTERPRETATION OF TOPO MAPS AND SURVEY MAPS
IT involves ability to follow the symbols portrayed in the map.
Understand the information given in pictorial and written form
Visualize the topography of the original area by interpreting the contour
Spot heights skillfully
Map reading is a practical skill.
Can be developed only by reading topo map very minutely and mentally
analyzing the details with the help of conventional signs & symbols
given in their conventional colours'
As the conventional symbols cannot cover all the graphical details,
each topographical map sheet provides the necessary information in the
margin for the users.
1.Identification of topographical maps
2.Reading the Grid reference
3.Scale (R.F.)
4.Representation of Relief by contours
5.Directions
6.Measuring distances and calculating distances
7.Drainage
8.Man-made and natural features
9.Means of transport in relation to relief
10.Land use and irrigation
11.Settlements
12. Inferring occupations
13. Importance of colours and tints in topographical survey sheets
14. Legend
15. Glossary of conventional signs and symbols used in survey maps

INFORMATION IN THE MARGINS

i)The number of the topo sheets: Topo sheets numbers can give an idea
as to which part of India is shown on the map. For example, topo sheet
numbers 45D/7, 45D/10 and 45 F/3 show parts of Gujarat and Rajashthan.
Knowing the number of toposheet can give us a clue about the general
physical relief of the region and its climate which can be confirmed by

other information given in the map.

Eg- since all toposheets are from India, it may be inferred that all the
reigons represented by those topo sheets would have a tropical
monsoon climate, with seasonal rainfall.
Western Rajasthan u may expect scanty rainfall- a fact which could be
verified by the presence of dry river beds and disappearing streams.

45D/7 shows a region of northern Guj, closer to the border of Rajasthan

45D/10 lies in the southern part of Rajasthan close to the border of
Gujarat region
45F/3 lies in the western Rajasthan, near Jodhpur
53B/7 shows a region in Punjab, close to the border of Haryana.
56D/11 shows a region in north-east Karnataka.
64P/13 shows a region in north-east Orissa.

GRID REFERENCE
A Grid is a set of lines used to find the exact location of places on a
map.
The National Grid Reference is a system of rectangular co-ordinate.
The origin of the grid reference lies at a point in the south-west corner
of the map.
Thus any place on the map can be located by starting its distance east
or north of the origin of the grid reference.
Topo maps bear the national grid of squares drawn to the scale of 2
cm=1km with each square having a side measuring 1 km.
These are sheets most commonly used for various purposes and are of
vital practical importance.
Vertical lines=Eastings since they are numbered from west to East
Horizontal lines = Northings - they are numbered from South to North
Net work of horizontal and vertical lines or the Eastings and Northings ,
is called the Grid.
READING THE GRID REFERENCE
i)Origin is the South West (SW) corner of the map. The reading on the
map is always taken with reference to this origin.
ii)Eastings are always read to the East of the origin.
iii)Northings are always read to the North of the origin.
It is also identified as the Grid Reference
i) The readings are always taken to the right of the Eastings and to the
North of the Northings.
ii) While giving a grid reference, Eastings are always stated first,
followed by Northings

Grid Reference of this picture is 2676

Four Figure Grid Reference:-In four-figure grid reference, the first

two figures are the eastings and the last two are the northings.

Six Figure Grid Reference:For greater accuracy, a third figure may

be added to two-figure eastings and northings.
i) Obtain the four figure reference by using first two digits of
eastings and northings. ii)Then divide each kilometre into ten parts
visually, both vertically & horizontally.
iii) Mark the division of eastings and the division of the northing
corresponding to the location.
iv) The crossing point is the location of the reference point.
 SCALE
Refer to Survey Map No. 45D/7
In the map, 1:50,000 is the R.F. of the map, which means that one
unit on the map represents 50,

REPRESENTATIVE FRACTION (RF): It is the ratio between the

distances on the map to its corresponding distance on actual
ground. The RF on this map is 1:50,000.

2. SCALE : Scale is the ratio between the distance of any two points
on the map and the actual distance of the same points on the
ground.
The scale of the given map extract is 2 cm: 1 km or 1:50,000.

3. CONTOUR: Contours are imaginary lines drawn on maps, joining

all places with the same height above sea level.

4. CONTOUR INTERVAL: The interval between two consecutive

contours is called contour interval (*it is a constant 20 mts in your
toposheets.)

5. INDEX CONTOUR: Contour lines are thickened at regular

intervals to make it easier to read contours. For example at every
100 mts the contour line is made darker. The darker lines are called
Index Contours.

6. TRIANGULATED HEIGHT: It is the height of a place which has

been calculated using trigonometry, represented by a small triangle
e.g. - 540

7. SPOT HEIGHT: The height of random places between contours

shown with a dot. Eg - . 425

8. BENCH MARK - Height of a place actually marked on a stone

pillar, rock or shown on a building as a permanent reference. It is
written as BM 200 m.

9. RELATIVE HEIGHT: Relative height is the height of a feature with

reference to the height of the surrounding land and NOT to sea
level.
It is represented by the height with a small r eg 12r.
10. ROCK OUTCROP: It is a portion of rock jutting above the
surface of the earth.

11. SHEET ROCK: Large areas of rock where the overlying soil
layers have been eroded and removed due to mechanical
weathering.

9 STONY WASTE: A large area usually in arid/semi arid regions

where the finer sand/soil has blown away leaving a surface covered
with boulders, stones and pebbles.

10. BROKEN GROUND: A relief feature found mostly in dry regions

around rivers and streams. It is land around river, which is totally
weathered (exfoliated) due to alternate cooling and heating.

11. FIRELINE: A cleared pathway in a forest to prevent the spread

of forest fires.

12. MIXED FOREST: A forest with more than two varieties of trees
growing in close proximity to each other.

13. OPEN JUNGLE: A forest where trees are widely scattered.

14. DENSE JUNGLE. : A forest where trees grow very close to each
other.

15. OPEN SCRUB: Scrub is a vegetation found in regions with less

than
100 cms of rainfall. Therefore it indicates a dry region.

16. BRACKISH: It is a well, which has water with very high salt
content generally unfit for drinking purposes.

17. CAUSEWAY: It is a raised road over a small water body.

(Usually a road used only in the non rainy months.}

18. CUTTING: A portion of land, which has been cut in order to

make land available for transport routes. (it is indicative of a rocky
region)

19. EMBANKMENT: They are raised rock or soil filled constructions

on which roads/railway tracks are built. Also made near tanks and
rivers to prevent flooding.

20. FORM LINES: Form lines are contour lines, but show only
approximate heights above sea level as they are used to indicate
the elevations of the area which are not accessible for proper
survey. Hence they are drawn as broken lines and are called 'form
lines'.

21. Q.C. Q.D., OC, OD,PQ, ETC : These are alphabetical codes used
to represent the biggest grid sq. of 10,000 square kms.
The Govt of India has adopted metric system for all measurements.
All the ordnace survey maps issued by the Survey of India were
drawn to the scale 2 cm = 1 km. In this system , the surveyed
territory is divided into 100km X 100 km squares, and each square
is denoted by English alphabets. for example, OC, OD, PQ, PG, etc .
This system of map drawing is known as National Grid Reference.

22. LAYER TINTING: (colouring)

While spot heights show the height of the land, they only do so at
certain points. To provide an overall image which conveyed height,
a technique called layer tinting was developed. Layer tinting uses
different colours (or shades) to represent different heights. It is a
mapping convention for darker colours to signify greater height.
When using layer tinting, green is often used for low land, yellow
for higher land and brown for the highest land.
Layer tinting is most commonly found on physical maps. While
layer tinting is useful, it does not show the detailed shape of the
land.

23. DEP: It is a depression often found in sandy areas where the

wind, having blown away the sand, leaves a hollow or a depression.

24. HACHURING: Early cartographers attempted to show surface

features on maps by using the technique of hachuring. Hachures
use short lines of varying thickness to show the shape and slope of
the land. In accordance with this technique, the steeper the slope
is, the thicker the lines are which represent it. While hachuring was
initially innovative for its time, it gradually began to be replaced
since the actual height of the land was not depicted.

25. LIME KILN OR BRICK KILN: These are open furnaces where
limestone is purified or bricks are baked for construction purpose.
26. HILL SHADING: Hill shading resembles a light and shadow
effect. Valleys and the sides of mountains appear as though they
are cast in shadow. This is a visually striking method, which is
ideal for providing an overall view of the relief of an area. Hill
shading, however, does not show height which means that it is no
more accurate than hachuring.
Some Common Questions Based On Toposheets
Sourced from :- B R Hector
If you get these questions, look for these points in the toposheets and
can write these answers:

1.Mention ay two features seen in the map extract which indicate the
region has seasonal rainfall. Seasonal streams/ Broken ground/open
scrub/seasonal tank/cart track motorable in dry season/narrow perennial
channel in the dry bed of the river(after looking for these features, select
any two features that you find on the topo sheet and write this way)

Ans: Open scrub and seasonal streams are two features in the map that
indicate the region has seasonal rainfall.
Rivers, streams and ponds/tanks are dry in nature.
Barren land shown in white colour also indicate that the region has
seasonal rainfall.
2.Mention any three features seen in the map extract which attract
holiday makers.(look for various tourist destinations like temple, water
falls, lakes, park, sunset points, etc and then write answers)

3. Which is the chief form of irrigation shown in the map extract? Give
some evidences to justify your answer.(look for perennial wells first,
then the rivers, lakes, tanks, etc and give answer. For example, if you
find the presence of many blue circles in the map, then you can write
your answer this way.)
Ans: The chief form of irrigation is perennial well-irrigation. Presence of
blue circles scattered all over the map.

4. Give one reason to explain why the steams in grid square ......... do not
join a river.
(Look for sandy soil, rainfall, etc) Ans; Reasons for streams not meeting
the main river due to:-
* presence of sandy soil which is porous
* poor rainfall
* high rate of evaporation. (Any two )

5. State two reasons for the absence of human habitation in some region
of the map extract.( check for any features that is not suitable for human
habitation like dense forest, open shrubs, steep hills, deserts, lack of
roads, etc)Ans: The region is densely forested, many streams with very
steep hills. It is expensive to build roads in this region.

6. What is the small white patch in the river? Ans: Barren island
7. What will be the main occupation of the people be in
i. highlands
ii. Lowlands.

i.highlands collection of forest products

ii. Lowlands - agriculture

8. Why are there no metalled roads in the mapped area?( reasons may
be many- look for dense jungles, or barren land, steep hills, or many
streams and then answer according to the features,)

Ans: The area has dense jungles, steep hills and no important
settlement- steams and barren land discourage the building of metalled
roads.

9. Give evidence to prove poor rainfall in the region.

(look for features like sand dunes disappearing steams, scrub
vegetation, broken grounds, etc. If you find these features, then you
write the answer this way)

Ans. The region has poor rainfall due to the

Presence of sand dunes
Presence of undefined and disappearing streams
Presence of scrub vegetation
Presence of broken grounds

10. Give two reasons for the presence of only footpaths in the green
wash.The reasons for the presence of foot-paths are:
* seep and rugged terrain makes construction of roads difficult.
* temples are the only destinations in the forested mountain region and
hence foot-paths are created by the pilgrims.
* footpaths may be created by people who depend on forest produce.

11. Why do so many contour lines so close together in the extract

indicate about the topography?(look for steep hills, or a temple in the
jungle and if u find these.................)Ans: Very steep (indicated by close
contours) and hilly (indicated by many contours) land.
12. How can we draw a climatic inference from a toposheet?

(there may be a question - what type of climate do you find in the

particular area - look for these features and then write the answers
accordingly -First of all, we should try to know which area of the
toposheet belongs to. This gives us a faint idea about the part of the
country and the type of climate prevailing there. Further, scanty amount
of rainfall can be judged by seeing dry rivers, dry tanks, sand dunes and
scrubs and scanty vegetation. Similarly dense forests indicate tropical
monsoon climate.)

(If you find dry rivers, or dry tanks or sannd dunes, scrubs, scanty
vegetation, then your answer wil be)

The area experiences scanty rainfall or poor rainfall with dry weather.

(if you find dense forests, then your answer will be)

The area experinces Tropical Monsoon climate.

Questions on occupation

13. What is the occupation of the people of a particular region from an

extract of the survey map or toposheet?

(When you get a question on the occupation of the people , look for
these features. Directly from a toposheet, we cannot know about the
occupation of the residents. We can amplify the occupation by
inferences provided on the toposheet. Therefore one must know the
colours and what it indicates. For example, all of you know that yellow
colour indicates agricultural land and hence agriculutre can be major
occupation. Green colour shows forested or wooded area and this
indicates that people follow in lumbering, furniture making, carpentry
and bamboo work, etc. Presence of big towns, industrial area, railway
station, etc., indicates that people must be employed in urban services.
Rest houses in hilly areas show devp of tourism. symbols of mines, may
suggest that some people are employed in mining activities. if you find
grassy area, then it indicates sheep or cattle rearing. Settlement along
roadside indicates devp of trade and commerce. If you locate wells,
tanks, canals, etc., show the cultivation of cash or cereal crops. parks,
lawns, historical monuments indicate occupations like tourism,
recreation, cultural devp, etc. So, my dear students, when you get a
question on the occupation of the people, look for these features and
write the answer accordingly. for example if you find grassy area or
open shrubs, then the occupation will be sheep and cattle rearing. I hope
you got me. )

14. What occupations do the people follow in Highland areas?

Ans: High land regions with steep slopes have the following features:

most of the slopes are unsuitable for agriculture. Pastures on the

slopes may be fit for grazing.
forestry may be a predominant economic activity in this region.
flat area over plateaus may be used for cultivation.

15. How can you judge the suitablity of land for agriculture from
toposheets? give a good reason.

a meandering river on the toposheet will indicate a lower or nil

gradient. Thus, such a plain area would be suitable for cultivation.
Dendritic or tree-like drainage pattern would confirm soft surface
suitable for agriculure wheras trellised drainage pattern suggests chalk
country, which is not much suited for cultivation.
Sand features, e.g. barkhans and disappearing streams would
indicate the dry conditions with the high temperature. These conditions
are unsuitable for agriculture.
presence of broken ground would confirm seasonal flooding. Silt
deposition by rivers is a good sign for agriculture.
network of canals, dams, tanks and tubewells will indicate
intensive use of land for agriculture.
so look for these features on the toposheet and write accordingly.
For example, which are the main occupations of the people in this area?
give reasons in support of your answer.

( if you see yellow wash, perennial wells, green colour,kilns on the

toposheet, your answer will be like this.)

Ans: Farming and forestry seem to be the two occupations in this area
because a large part of the map has yellow wash which symbolizes
cultivated area. A large number of perennial wells present in the area
also support this inference. Some part of the map shows presence of
open jungles.......(mention, south, or north, west or east) which is
indicated by green colur which suggests forestry as an important
occupation there. presence of kilns shows that lime and brick making is
also an occpation of some people.

POINTS TO REMEMEBR REGARDING OCCUPATIONS:

If you find KILN , then the occupation will be drying and baking
bricks, pottery, limestone, etc. So you write the answer this way: The
occupation is drying and baking bricks, pottery, etc due to the presence
of Kiln in the area.
if you find STONE QUARRY, then the occupation is quarring.
If you find irrigation from wells, canals or tanks, farming is the
occupation.
if you find yellow wash, agriculture is the occupation of the area.
if you dont find any source of irrigation, it means farming is likely
to be dependent on rainfall only.
mining is the occupation if you find settlements near mines or
quarries.
if you find settlements along the banks of the river, then fishing is
an occupation of that area.
if settlement is near the forest(green colour), then the people are
dependent on forest products like fruits, nuts, or leaves. there may be
primitive agriculture. so when you write the answer, write this way:
people are dependent on forest produce or foresty and may practice
primitive agriculure.
if you find large settlements, esp near the metalled roads, the
occupation can also be industries, trade, services.
in case they are headquarters of districts, taluqs, employment can
also be in administrative sector because of the presence of large
number of offices and organisations.
so please go through the toposheet properly since one question will be
definite on occupation.

16. What is the brown line in grid square ............. called? What does the
figure written aong this line indicate?
(if it is a brown line , then it is a contour. Second part of the question -
imagine you see figure 280 m ... then it means 280 m above sea level.)
Ans: The brown line that we find in grid square is Contour line. The line
280 m joins places 280 m above sea-level on the map.

17. What are the brown lines seen in such abundance? What do they
indicate?
(same answer as question 16)
ans: They are contour lines. They indicate lines joining places having
the same height above sea-level. Closeness of the contours indicates
mountainous topography.

17. What is a causeway? Why are there so many causeways in the map?
Ans: Causeways are land raised across streams for use as metalled road
or paths. The numerous streams crossing the metalled road are likely to
flood them.

18. Explain the term Depression in the map.

Ans: Depression is a shallow lowland in a sandy region often created by

deflation of wind.

19. Name the geographical feature represented by white patches in the

middle of the river.

Ans: The geographical feature in the middle of the river represented by

white patches is an island or rocks or stores.

20. What do the following represent in the map? i. Black broken lines ii.
Black curved lines.

i. Black broken lines indicate disappearing stream and black curved

lines indicate broken ground.
21. Name 4 methods by which relief is shown on the map.* Contour lines
* Layer Colouring/tinting * Spot height * Hill shading.

22. What is layer-tinting/colouring?

It is a method, where a colour scheme is used to show relief on the map.

23. What is cartography?

Cartography is an art and science of drawing maps, diagrams and

charts.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

RELATIVE HEIGHT OR APPROXIMATE HEIGHT: REMEMBER:-This

height is not taken from the sea level but with respect to the surrounding
area. It may be height of a dam, bridge, sand dune, or it can be depth of
a well, tank, hill, or river canal, for example 2r, 3r, 5r, 6r, etc.

Example:
3r the relative depth of the perennial lined well is 3 metres.(if 3r is
written near the symbol of perennial well. don't write height but the
depth)

5r the relative height of dry tank is 5 metres (if 5r is written near the dry
tank symbol)

16r the relative height of sand dune is 16 metres. (If 16r is written near
the symbol of sand dunes)

8r the relative height of river bank is 8 metres (if 8r is written near the
river bank)

PLEASE NOTE: you must write the word RELATIVE HEIGHT/DEPTH

of.................................
 COLOURS:

7 COLOURS are used on toposheets:

i. BLACK: Names, lines of latitudes and longitudes, broken grounds,

river banks, dry rivers, surveyed trees, heights and their numbering,
railway mines, telephone, telepgraph lines

ii. RED: Grid lines (eastings and northings) , their numbering, roads, cart
tracks, settlements, huts and other buildings.

iii. GREEN: Forested and wooded areas, scrubs, scattered trees,

orchards

iv. BLUE: Water bodies containing water like wells, rivers, etc

v. YELLOW: cultivated areas

vi. BROWN: Contour lines, their numbering, form lines, all sand features
like sand dunes, sand hills, stony waste

vii. WHITE PATCHES: uncultivated and barren lands

DIRECTIONS

Directions are important for physical as well as urban features. the

physical features involve the directions of rivers, streams, and the urban
cities from one another.

When a question is asked regarding the banks of the river or direction of

the river, the following steps should be observed.
 First of all, look at the spot heights to determine the slope of the
land. As you know, spot heights are marked this way 265 289
See which spot heights are higher and where it is lower, and then
you will know which way or direction it slopes. The slope of the land
may be from north east to south west and if you see a river, then it flows
from north-east to south-west.
to know on which side or bank of the river a place is situated (a
place may be a temple, settlement, town, etc)one has to locate the
source of the river. Having located the direction of the river, imagine
yourself standing at the source of the river f acing the main river. to your
right is right bank and to your left is left bank. SO SIMPLE, BOSS!!!

when a question is ask end on directions with reference to urban

cites/settlements, remember these points.

some times the questions are asked on the direction of a city or

settlement with a reference to the other. First of all, pay attention to the
words 'FROM' a place and 'TO' a place. Imagine yourself standing on the
'FROM' PLACE and look at the TO PLACE. Use the direction arrow and
write the direction.

FEW IMPORTANT TERMS:

A. Layer Tinting: Layer tinting is a method of showing relief by color. A

different color is used for each band of elevation. Each shade of color,
or band, represents a definite elevation range. A legend is printed on the
map margin to indicate the elevation range represented by each color.
However, this method does not allow the map user to determine the
exact elevation of a specific pointonly the range.

b. Form Lines. Form lines are not measured from any datum plane. Form
lines have no standard elevation and give only a general idea of relief.
Form lines are represented on a map as dashed lines and are never
labeled with representative elevations.

c. Shaded Relief. Relief shading indicates relief by a shadow effect

achieved by tone and color that results in the darkening of one side of
terrain features, such as hills and ridges. The darker the shading, the
steeper the slope. Shaded relief is sometimes used in conjunction with
contour lines to emphasize these features.

d. Hachures. Hachures are short, broken lines used to show relief.

Hachures are sometimes used with contour lines. They do not represent
exact elevations, but are mainly used to show large, rocky outcrop
areas. Hachures are used extensively on small-scale maps to show
mountain ranges, plateaus, and mountain peaks.

e. Contour Lines. Contour lines are the most common method of

showing relief and elevation on a standard topographic map. A contour
line represents an imaginary line on the ground, above or below sea
level. All points on the contour line are at the same elevation. The
elevation represented by contour lines is the vertical distance above or
below sea level.

(1) Index. Starting at zero elevation or mean sea level, every fifth contour
line is a heavier line. These are known as index contour lines. Normally,
each index contour line is numbered at some point. This number is the
elevation of that line.
(2) Intermediate. The contour lines falling between the index contour
lines are called intermediate contour lines. These lines are finer and do
not have their elevations given. There are normally four intermediate
contour lines between index contour lines.
(3) Supplementary. These contour lines resemble dashes. They show
changes in elevation of at least one-half the contour interval. These lines
are normally found where there is very little change in elevation, such as
on fairly level terrain.