Class 8 NCERT Solutions Civics Chapter 7 - Public Facilities
Public Facilities Exercise 98
Solution 1
Water is essential for life and for good health. The right to water is a part of the Right to Life under Article 21. Thus, it is an important responsibility of the government to provide water to everyone. However, at some places where the government fails to execute its responsibility, it is passed on to the private sector to fulfil it. There are few cases of private water supply in the world because
- Most of the time, they carry out work that offers them profits.
- Hence, we often see them supplying water through tankers or supplying drinking water in sealed bottles, which costs extra.
- They provide water, but at a price that only some people are able to afford.
- Thus, when the private companies increased the price of water, riots broke out in some places, which forced the government to withdraw the service from private hands.
Solution 2
No, the water in Chennai is not available to and affordable by all. The water supply is marked by shortages as Municipal supply meets only about half the needs of the people of the city on an average.
The reasons are
- The areas that are close to the storage points get more water.
- The colonies which are further away receive less water.
- Availability of a good, regular water supply in this city is proportionate to the level of income one earns. Example: Senior government officials in areas such as Anna Nagar can get a whole water tanker arranged for themselves, while in slums, the water supply runs for barely an hour every day, from a single tap serving over thirty families for all their water needs.
Solution 3
The sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai severely affects the local people. The water is taken from nearby towns and from villages to the north of the city using a fleet of over 13,000 water tankers. Due to this trade, the water levels have dropped drastically in all these towns and villages.
The water that is traded is not only used for agriculture but also for the drinking water supplies of the villagers. Hence, the local people can object to this trade of water.
Yes, it is only the government who can sort out this problem. The government needs to help the people of the city by providing them adequate water. This help with shut down the private companies' unfair means of earning profits from supplying water.
Solution 4
Most of the private hospitals and private schools are located in major cities because
- People staying in the cities are wealthier than people staying in the villages, and they can afford to spend more on better facilities.
- City people do not have time to wait for their turn when in government hospitals.
- Private schools offer better infrastructure which is an important aspect for people staying in the city.
Solution 5
The distribution of public facilities in our country is not adequate and fair. Example: Healthcare facilities fall short and remain undistributed in rural areas. Most of the city hospitals have better quality and infrastructure as compared to the rural hospitals. The doctors in the cities may meet international medical standards; however, sometimes in the village, doctors are not qualified enough.
Solution 6
The answer to this question will vary. Although a sample answer is provided, please attempt this question on your own.
|
|
Is it available? |
How can it be improved? |
|
Water |
Yes |
By checking the quality of water being supplied at proper intervals. |
|
Electricity |
Yes |
Should not have power cuts. |
|
Roads |
Yes |
Pot holes should be filled up, and the roads should be made of a better quality. |
|
Public Transport |
Yes |
The number of transport services provided should be increased. |
Solution 7
No, the above public facilities are not shared equally by all the people in the area. This is because
- The public facilities provided are not sufficient for all the people in the area.
- At some places, there is a charge on public facilities which is illegal.
- Due to the population, people are not able to avail the public facilities provided by the government.
Solution 8
The data that can be collected as a part of census vary as per the requirement. For example, censuses are of national population, housing, agriculture, business and traffic.
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The census in India is conducted after every 10 years.
Solution 9
The impact would be
- The government would stop investing in building schools.
- This work would be passed over to public companies.
- The private companies would try to incur profits from this work.
- The fees for the schools will be very high.
- Children from the deprived section of society would be at a loss.
- Malpractices would be encouraged.
