← All questionsGS3 · 2023 · Environment ·Dam Safety & Failure
QUESTION PYQ 08
GS3
10 marks

Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyse the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures.

WRITE IN
7 min
150 words

What the examiner wants

For Dam Safety & Failure, analyse in sequence: first, Analyse the various causes of dam failures.; then, Give two examples of large dam failures.. Keep evidence and the conclusion tied to these exact limbs.

AnalyseBreak it into parts, show how the parts connect, and judge which matter most.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Analyse the various causes of dam failures≈55 words
  2. 2Give two examples of large dam failures≈55 words

Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.

Answer plan

Frame Dam Safety & FailureCausal drivers/mechanismQuestion-specific evidenceEffects or second limbRelative-weight/balanced conclusion

Where marks usually go

  • Over-writing ‘Analyse the various causes of dam failures.’ while reducing ‘Give two examples of large dam failures.’ to a token paragraph
  • Adding correct but adjacent facts on Dam Safety & Failure that do not advance the exact causal, comparative or evaluative task in this PYQ

Value addition

  • Dam Safety & Failure: risk chain — driver/hazard → exposure → impact → mitigation/resilience
    → Draw it in the body, next to the point it supports.

Official source anchors

These are authoritative sources selected for this exact PYQ. Where a card is an official-domain anchor rather than a fact-level citation, verify the precise provision, definition or data point on the linked source before using it.