NCERT Solutions For Class 8 Social Science Civics

NCERT Solutions For Class 8 Social Science Civics
Chapter 9 Public Facilities
1. Why do you think there are so few cases of private water supply in the world?
Answer: Water is a basic necessity, hence, universal access to safe drinking water is necessary for
quality of life. It needs to be provided to all either free of charge or at affordable rates. But, as private
companies work for one objective that is maximum profits, in cases where the responsibility for 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, forcing the government to take
back the service from private hands. Therefore, only a few cases of private water supply exist in the
world.
2. Do you think water in Chennai is available to and affordable by all? Discuss.

Answer: Water is not equally available to all the citizens in chennai. Water in Chennai is supplied by
the municipality which fails to meet 100% of demand. Some areas get regular water supply while many
areas get erratic supply of water. People from the middle class and upper class buy packaged drinking
water or water from tankers. The burden of water supply shortage falls mostly on the poor as they
cannot afford the expense of tanker or packaged water. Those who live close to the storage points get
more water while colonies further away receive less supply.
3. How is the sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai affecting the local people? Do
you think local people can object to such exploitation of groundwater? Can the government do
anything in this regard?
Answer: Due to shortage of water, private companies have got an opportunity and are providing
water to cities by buying it from places around the city. In Chennai, water is taken from nearby towns
like, Karungizhi Palur, and Mamandur from villages to the north of the city using a fleet of over 13,000
water tankers. Every month the water dealers pay an advance to farmers for the rights to exploit water
sources on their land. This way the water that is taken away is not just creating a deficit for agriculture
purpose but also increasing the shortage of drinking water supplies of the villagers. As a result, the
level of Ground water have dropped drastically in all these towns and villages.
4. Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in
towns or rural areas?
Answer Most of the private schools and hospitals are located in the cities rather than in towns or
villages because their sole motive is maximum profit, the services they offer are costly and are
affordable only by the affluent dwellers of the city.
5. Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair? Give an
example of your own to explain.
Answer While there is no doubt that public facilities should be made available to all, in reality we see
that there is a great shortage of such facilities. The distribution of public facilities in our country is
neither adequate nor fair. For example, the Delhites avail all public facilities like healthcare and
sanitation, water, electricity, schools and colleges, public transport. But if we go to places a few
kilometers away such as Mathura or Aligarh people have to face grave crises for these facilities. Water
shortages and Electricity cut-off are the normal routine of life. Public transport is also not properly
developed. Compared to the metros and large cities, towns and villages are under-provided.
Compared to wealthy localities, the poorer localities are under-serviced. Handing over these facilities to
private companies is not an answer. The important fact is that every citizen of the country has a right to
these facilities which should be provided to all in an equitable manner.
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6. Take some of the public facilities in your area, such as water, electricity, etc. Is there scope to
improve these? What in your opinion should be done? Complete the table.
Is it available? How can it be improved?
Water
Electricity
Road
Public Transport
Answer
Is it How can it be improved?

available?
Water yes Constructing separate water tanks and making available water supply 24
hour.
Electricity yes Making available 24 hours electricity supply by keeping a check on

electricity theft and its conservation
Road yes No improvement needed but if there is no proper roads then construction
of new roads, more flyovers, and highways will be of help
Public yes Public transport is good, but better connectivity with some more areas of
Transport the city can be done by introducing new buses and increasing the
frequency of running buses
7. Are the above public facilities shared equally by all the people in your area? Elaborate.
Answer No the above mentioned facilities are not shared equally in the areas. Water supply is not
shared equally by all the people. The slum dwellers have to manage with a single water tap where each
house in a middle class locality has separate connection for water. When people of middle class homes
buy water from tankers to meet their needs, those in slums cannot afford it. However, other facilities,
like electricity, road and public transport are shared equally by all.
8. Data on some of the public facilities are collected as part of the Census. Discuss with your
teacher when and how the Census is conducted.
Answer Students have to do this under the guidance of their teacher.
9. Private educational institutions – schools, colleges, universities, technical and vocational

training institutes are coming up in our country in a big way. On the other hand, educational
institutes run by the government are becoming relatively less important. What do you think
would be the impact of this? Discuss.
Answer Education is a basic need and there should be universal access to education. But, as the main
motive of private education institutes is earning profits, they charge high fees which are affordable only
by the affluent section of the society, thus the right to quality education is the right only for the rich
class. Similarly if government education institutes are not upto the mark then weaker sections are again
deprived of quality education. This in turn results in disparity of quality education between rich and
poor.

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NCERT Solutions For Class 8 Social Science Civics

Chapter 9 Public Facilities

2. Do you think water in Chennai is available to and affordable by all? Discuss.

Is it available? How can it be improved?

Is it How can it be improved?

Electricity yes Making available 24 hours electricity supply by keeping a check on

Answer Students have to do this under the guidance of their teacher.

9. Private educational institutions – schools, colleges, universities, technical and vocational

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