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How does the Constitution recognize the importance of water?

The Constitution of India recognizes the right to water as being a part of the Right to Life under Article 21.

What does universal access to water means?

It means that it is the right of every person, whether rich or poor to have sufficient amounts of water to fulfill their daily needs at a price that he or she can afford.

What are public facilities?

Public facilities are the ones that when provided, its benefits can be shared by many people. These include healthcare, sanitation, electricity, public transport, schools, and colleges. It is the role of the government to provide public facilities to all.

Why do private companies operate majorly?

Private companies operate for profit in the market.

Why should the responsibility to provide public facilities be rested on government?

Public facilities refer the people’s basic needs which are required by a modern society. The right to life that the Constitution guarantees is for all persons living in the country and therefore its responsibility must lie with the government.

What is the government budget?

The government budget, which is presented in the Parliament each year, is an account of the expenses the government has made on its programmes in the past year and how much it plans to spend in the coming year. It also includes the various ways in which the government plans to meet the expenses.

What is the main source of revenue for the government?

The main source of the government is the taxes collected from the people, and the government is empowered to collect these taxes and use them for such programmes.

What is the main source of public transport over short distances?

Buses are the most important form of public transport over short distances. It is the main link to the workplace for a majority of people.

How does the middle class cope up with water shortages?

The middle class, when faced with water shortages, are able to cope through a variety of private means such as digging borewells, buying water from tankers and using bottled water for drinking.

How is the country dealing with the shortage of water in municipal corporations?

The shortage in municipal water is increasingly being filled by an expansion of private companies who are selling water for profit.

How much water do people in urban areas get?

The supply of water per person in an urban area in India should be about 135 liters per day – a standard set by the Urban Water Commission.

Contrast the water needs of people living in slums and those that are rich.

The people in slums have to make up with less than 20 liters a day per person while people living in luxury hotels may consume as many as 1600 liters of water per day.

Why are some people asking the private companies to distribute water?

Since the government is unable to supply water that is needed and many of the municipal water departments are running at a loss, most people are asking for the private companies to take over the task of water supply.

How has been the reaction of people when private companies took over the water supply?

When the responsibility of water supply was handed over to private companies, there was a steep rise in the price of water, making it unaffordable for many. Cities saw huge protests, with riots breaking out in places like Bolivia, forcing the government to take back the service from private hands.

How are the water services in Mumbai?

The water supply department in Mumbai raises enough money through water charges to cover its expenses on supplying water.

How are the water services in Hyderabad?

In Hyderabad, the department has increased coverage and improved performance in revenue collection.

Explain the water services in Chennai.

In Chennai, the department has taken several initiatives for harvesting rainwater to increase the level of groundwater. It has also used the services of private companies for transporting and distributing water but the government water department decides the rate for water tankers and gives them permissions to operate.

Why is the water supply department in Chennai called on contract?

Chennai uses the services of private companies for transporting and distributing water but the government water department decides the rate for water tankers and gives them permissions to operate. Hence, they are called on contract.

Why are public facilities the responsibility of government?

Public facilities relate to our basic needs and the Indian Constitution recognizes the right to water, health and education etc as being a part of the right to life. Thus, one of the major roles of the government is to ensure adequate public facilities for everyone.

What is Sulabh?

Sulabh is a non – government organization in India that has been solving the sanitation problem for the low-caste and low-income people in India. They have established around 7500 public toilets and 1.2 million private toilets.

How does Sulabh operate?

Sulabh enters into contracts with the municipalities or other local authorities to construct toilet blocks with government funds. Local authorities provide land and funds for setting up the services, whereas maintenance costs are sometimes financed through user charges.

NCERTNotes