A passage describes how over-pumping groundwater lowers the water table beyond the reach of shallow wells, forcing farmers into a competitive race to dig ever-deeper tubewells. This is structurally analogous to:
Options:
(A) A military arms race where competing nations continually escalate weapon spending without achieving greater security.
(B) A farmer rotating crops between wheat and mustard.
(C) A cooperative sharing maintenance costs of a tractor.
(D) A solar panel tracking the sun across the sky.
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Both represent a competitive escalation trap (tragedy of the commons / arms race) where competitive deepening leaves everyone worse off.