(a) With a neat labelled diagram explain the functioning of electrostatic precipitator.
(b) What is jhum cultivation? How it accounts for deforestation.

Explanation

(a) Electrostatic Precipitator : . It is the most widely used method for removal of particulate matter, about99% of particulate pollutants are removed from the exhaust of thermal power plants. .
It has electrode wires and a stage of collecting plates.
The electrode wires are maintained at several thousand volts, which produce a corona that releases electrons.
• These electrons get attached to the (dust) particles and give them a net negative charge within a very small fraction of a second. The collecting plates are grounded and hence attract the charged particles.
• The velocity of air between the plates must be low enough to allow the particles to fall on them.
(b) Slash and Burn agriculture/ Jhum cultivation : It is an agricultural technique in which an area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning and is abandoned to return to a more natural state over time.. It is also known as shifting cultivation, swidden agriculture, or simply jhum. Here, the farmers cut down trees and burn the plant remains. The ash is used as fertilizer and the land for grazing and farming.