Correct Option (c)
The passage primarily details how improper management of agricultural waste, specifically the discharge of slurry and the runoff of nutrient-rich fertilizers, along with human sewage, leads to severe degradation of aquatic ecosystems. It elaborates on the processes of cultural eutrophication in lakes and the formation of extensive 'dead zones' in oceans, highlighting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Option (c) accurately encapsulates this central theme by focusing on the destructive impact of improper agricultural waste disposal on aquatic environments.
Incorrect Options:
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Option (a): While the passage mentions that law increasingly restricts the discharge of agricultural slurry, this is presented as a response to the problem, not the central theme itself. The core of the passage is the ecological damage caused by specific agricultural practices, not the necessity of legislation.
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Option (b): This option is too broad. The passage does not condemn modern agriculture as a whole. Instead, it specifically identifies issues arising from certain practices within modern agriculture, such as the excessive use of fertilizers and improper waste disposal, as responsible for environmental destruction. The focus is on specific detrimental practices rather than the entire agricultural system.
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Option (d): The passage does not state that the use of chemical fertilizers is undesirable in agriculture. It highlights that the "excess input of the nutrients, both nitrogen and phosphorus – based, from agricultural runoff" causes eutrophication and dead zones. The criticism is directed at the indiscriminate or poorly managed use of fertilizers leading to nutrient overload, not their fundamental undesirability.