Reading Comprehension · Question 26 · Medium
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a feature or use of stepwells?
Long before piped water reached Indian towns, communities in the dry western parts of the country built stepwells to survive the months without rain. A stepwell is a deep, stone-lined shaft or trench with flights of steps leading down to the water. As the water level fell during the dry season, people simply walked further down to reach it. The steps also served a social purpose: the cool, shaded lower levels became places where travellers rested and where women gathered while drawing water. Some stepwells were richly carved and were built by rulers or wealthy patrons as acts of charity. With the arrival of tube wells and taps, many stepwells were abandoned. Some were filled with rubbish; others dried up as nearby groundwater was pumped out faster than the rains could replace it. In recent years, a number of towns have begun cleaning and restoring them, partly as tourist attractions and partly because they can still collect monsoon rain. Restorers caution, however, that a cleaned stepwell will hold water only if the land around it is allowed to absorb rainfall instead of being paved over.
- A gathering place for women
- Irrigating large farms
- Acts of charity by rulers or wealthy patrons
- A resting place for travellers
Answer and explanation
Answer: B. Irrigating large farms
Explanation: The passage mentions travellers resting, women gathering and stepwells built as charity, but it says nothing about irrigating farms.
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