NCERT Solutions for Class 3 EVS Chapter 7: Water – A Precious Gift – Free PDF Download

Chapter 7 of Our Wondrous World (Class 3 EVS) is Water – A Precious Gift. It follows Surya and Barkha as they trace where their home’s tap water comes from, and explores how water reaches us, how we store it, and why we must never waste it. These Class 3 EVS Chapter 7 solutions are also useful as quick revision notes before exams.

Rainwater: Where Does It Come From, Where Does It Go?

Q: After rain falls on the ground, where does the water go?
A: When it rains, water falls on different kinds of surfaces. Some water is soaked up by the soil and slowly seeps underground, becoming groundwater, which later joins a stream or pond. Some water flows over roads and slopes into drains, rivers or ponds. Some water evaporates once the sun comes out. In this way, rainwater fills different natural sources — streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, wells and groundwater.

How Does Water Reach Our Homes?

Q: Where do we get our water from?
A: We get water in several ways: from a home tap connected by pipes to a tank on the roof; from a well or hand pump, where water is drawn using a pulley, hand pump or electric pump; from a water tanker, which brings water from a nearby river, lake or other source; or directly from a river, lake or pond. In the chapter, two children named Surya and Barkha try to find out where their home tap’s water comes from — they follow the pipes up to the tank on the roof and wonder how the water first got into the tank.

Using and Saving Water at Home

Q: What do we use water for in our daily lives?
A: We need water for drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing our teeth, washing clothes and utensils, cleaning, and watering plants. In the chapter, one day Surya and Barkha’s family finds no water in the tap, but the family is not worried because they had already saved two buckets of water beforehand. This teaches us that the availability of water is not always the same, so we should use water thoughtfully and keep some saved in advance for when it is needed.

Traditional and Modern Vessels for Storing Water

Q: What kinds of vessels do people use to store water?
A: Many years ago, before homes had taps and pipes, people learned to make different kinds of vessels for storing water, including clay pots, clay surahis, copper vessels and brass pots. Today, people also use steel pots, aluminium vessels, plastic bottles and buckets to store water. All these vessels are made of different materials, and different regions even have different names for them.

Pause and Think! — The Journey of Water

Q: What stages does water go through, from reaching our homes to being used?
A: First, water arrives on earth as rain. This water gradually fills natural sources like rivers, ponds, lakes, wells and groundwater. We bring this water into our homes in various ways (taps, tanks, wells, hand pumps, tankers) and store it in different vessels. We then use this water for many things, like drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning. After use, the water becomes dirty — we cannot use this dirty water again for drinking or cooking, but it can be reused for watering plants or in the toilet. So we should use water thoughtfully and reuse it wherever we can.

Every Drop Is Precious

Q: What does the statement “every drop is precious” mean?
A: Water is extremely essential for our survival — we cannot live for more than three days without it. In some places, rainfall is very low and there are no large water sources nearby, so people there must walk long distances to fetch water. That is why we must understand the value of every single drop of water and never waste it.

Q: How can we help thirsty people and animals?
A: We can offer clean drinking water to anyone who visits our home, such as the postman, a delivery person, or a cleaner. In many places, it is traditional to keep pots of water outside homes, especially in summer, so that any thirsty person can drink — this is called a “piyau” or free drinking-water stop. To help birds and insects, we can make a birdbath in the summer months — filling a shallow, wide container with clean water and placing it on a balcony or roof so birds can drink and cool off. Placing pebbles at the edges helps birds perch and insects reach the water, and the water should be changed regularly.

Let’s Reflect (a) Write

Q: You collected rainwater and observed whether it was clean or dirty. What happened to rainwater falling in different places?
A: Water that fell on a roof, road or paved ground flowed away into drains or pits, or joined a river or stream. Water that fell on soil or grassy ground was slowly soaked up by the earth and became part of the groundwater. Water collected directly in a container is usually clean, though it can be slightly dirty if there is dust in the air.

Q: Write a few lines about a stream, river, well, pond or lake near you. Is its water used for drinking?
A: This is a personal-answer question that students can write based on a real water source near them. For example: “There is a pond near our village. Its water is not used directly for drinking because it is not clean, but it is used for washing clothes and for giving water to animals. Our drinking water comes from a tap, which reaches our home through pipes from a tank.”

(b) Draw

Q: Draw a picture of a birdbath you made, and name the birds and insects that come to drink from it.
A: This is a creative activity. Students can draw a birdbath placed on their balcony or roof, showing a wide, shallow container, some pebbles, and clean water. They can label the birds (such as sparrows, pigeons, crows, bulbuls) and insects (such as bees, butterflies) that come to drink from it.

(c) Discuss

Q: How can we prevent the wastage of water?
A: Water is very precious and we should not waste even a single drop. Some ways to prevent wastage of water are:

• Turning off the tap when it is not needed, such as while brushing teeth or washing hands.
• Being careful not to let a tank or bucket overflow while filling it.
• Using a bucket and mug for bathing, which uses less water than a shower.
• Getting any leaking tap or pipe at home fixed immediately.
• Reusing water left over after washing clothes or utensils to water plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does rainwater go after it falls on the ground?
Some soaks into the soil and becomes groundwater, some flows into drains, rivers or ponds, and some evaporates in the sun.

Why should we not waste water?
Water is essential for survival and many places have limited access to it, so every drop must be valued and used carefully.

How can we help birds during summer?
By making a birdbath — a shallow container of clean water with pebbles at the edges — placed on a balcony or roof, and changing the water regularly.

Written by Satish

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