Public Facilities

Q17. Why does a lack of proper sanitation affect women and girls more acutely?

Ans. Lack of proper sanitation affects women and girls more acutely because they often have to wait until dark to go to the toilet. To avoid the need for such frequent toilet use, women often drink less, causing severe health impacts.

Q18. What is company?

Ans. A company is a form of business set up by people or by the government. Those that are promoted and owned by individuals or groups are called private companies. For example, Tata Steel is a private company whereas Indian Oil is a company run by the government.

Q19. What do you think would happen if the government withdraws from the task of supplying water?

Ans. If the government withdraws from the task of supplying water it would lead to an increase in the price of water because the private enterprises would not be willing to do it at a lower cost. It would lead to great unrest in the country.

Q20. Do you think that lack of access to proper sanitation facilities affects peoples’ lives? How?

Ans. Yes, lack of access to proper sanitation facilities indeed affects the lives of the people adversely. Lack of such facilities leads to Cholera, typhoid and also respiratory and skin problems. Lack of proper sanitation facility can also leads to death of adults and infants.

Q21. Why is water considered as a part of the fundamental right to life?

Ans. Water is essential for life and for good health. Not only is it necessary for us to be able to meet our daily needs but safe drinking water can prevent many water-related diseases. Thus, water is considered as a part of the fundamental right to life.

Q22. Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair? Give an example of your own to explain.

Ans. Distribution of public facilities in our country is not adequate and fair. Compared to the metros and large cities, towns and villages are under-provided. Compared to wealthy localities, the poorer localities are under-serviced.

Q23. Write a short note on ‘sulabh’.

Ans. Sulabh, a non-government organisation, has been working for three decades to address the problems of sanitation facing low-caste, low-income people in India. It has constructed more than 7,500 public toilet blocks and 1.2 million private toilets, giving access to sanitation to 10 million people. The majority of the users of Sulabh facilities are from the poor working class.

Q24. Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in towns or rural areas?

Ans. The private hospitals and private schools are opened with the sole motive of earning profit. They charge high amount of money from their customers. The hefty amount of money; charged by such hospitals and schools; can only be affordable for people in major cities. Thus, most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in towns or rural areas.

Q25. What are the characteristics of Public Facilities?
Or
What is the importance of public facilities?

Ans. The important characteristic of a public facility is that once it is provided, its benefits can be shared by many people. For instance, a school in the village will enable many children to get educated. Similarly, the supply of electricity to an area can be useful for many people: farmers can run pumpsets to irrigate their fields, people can open small workshops that run on electricity, students will find it easier to study and most people in the village will benefit in some way or the other.

Q26. Do you think water in Chennai is available and affordable by all? Discuss.

Ans. Water supply in Chennai is marked by shortages. Municipal supply meets only about half the needs of the people of the city, on an average. There are areas which get water more regularly than others. Those areas that are close to the storage points get more water whereas colonies further away receive less water. The burden of shortfalls in water supply falls mostly on the poor. 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. Apart from the availability of water, access to ‘safe’ drinking water is also available to some and this depends on what one can afford.