NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Social And Political Life Chapter 9

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9

Understanding the fundamentals of Civics helps students to participate in public discussions and proceedings. Students may also acquire civic values like voting, helping others, and become an aware citizen. Students might also gain advice on participating in civic activities, understanding the legislation, and making informed judgments.

Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 discusses the importance of Water and examples in regard to exploring public facilities. Students must understand concepts related to public facilities and the government’s role in their provision. With the help of Public Facilities Class 8 Solutions, students can obtain well-explained answers to the chapter-related questions which would aid them to master the concepts and thoroughly revise the chapter during the preparation for the examination.

Extramarks is a wonderful treasure trove of top-notch study material. Experts from Extramarks have produced NCERT Class 8 Civics Chapter 9. Students are recommended to utilize these NCERT solutions to ensure they retain every concept of the chapter. Therefore, Extramarks Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 Solutions help students to comprehend the essential points covered in the Chapter.

In addition to NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9, students can take advantage of various other study materials available at Extramarks for all classes. Material such as NCERT books, CBSE revision notes, CBSE sample papers, CBSE past years’ question papers, and more are readily available on the Extramarks’ website.

Key Topics Covered in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9

The following key topics are covered in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9- Public Facilities:

  • Water and the people of Chennai
  • Water as part of the Fundamental Right to Life
  • Public Facilities
  • The Government’s Role
  • Water supply to Chennai: Is it available to all?
  • In search of alternatives

Let us look at Extramarks’ in-depth information on each subtopic in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9- Public Facilities.

Water and the people of Chennai

This section of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 discusses the plight of the people of Chennai in terms of water supply.

A vigorous watering regime keeps Anna Nagar and Chennai lawns lush and green. In this location, tap water is consistently available for most of the day. When the municipal water board’s senior official is contacted, a water tanker is scheduled for the residents’ homes on days when the water supply is insufficient. Mylapore, however, experiences a water scarcity and only receives municipal water once every two days. Some of the occupants’ water demands are satisfied by a private borewell. However, because borewell water is salty, locals use it for washing and flushing. For other uses, water is purchased from tankers at the rate of Rs 500–600 per month. 

Water is delivered to the Madipakkam neighborhood once every four days. Residents must purchase bottled water to consume. Another neighborhood where several huts lack either a restroom or a tap connection is the Saidapet Slum. There is a common tap for 30 of these huts in one of the corners, where water from a borewell is available for 20 minutes twice daily, enough time for a family to fill up to three buckets. People use the same water for drinking and washing. The flow reduces to a trickle in summer, meaning that one household can only acquire water at the expense of another. For water tankers, people are required to wait for several hours.

Water as part of the Fundamental Right to Life

This section of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 discusses that water is the fundamental right to life.

Safe drinking water helps to prevent many water-related ailments. Water is vital for life and good health. It is also needed to satisfy our daily demands. Every day, more than 1,600 Indians die from water-related illnesses like cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea; and most of the deaths are amongst young children under the age of 5. Safe drinking water accessibility may help stop these fatalities. According to Article 21 of the Constitution, the right to water is a component of the right to life. Therefore, it is everyone’s right, regardless of wealth or poverty, to have access to enough water to meet their daily requirements at an affordable cost. In other words, water should be accessible to everyone. Even the Supreme Court and the High Courts have stated in a few cases that the right to clean drinking water is a Fundamental Right.

Public Facilities

What is the main feature of public facilities? 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9, discusses in detail the main feature of public facilities. 

Other than the free water available to everyone, public utilities also include sanitary facilities. Electricity, public transportation, educational institutions, and so on are necessities. A significant element of public facility’s is that it is supposed to be made available for all, regardless of their status, caste or wealth 

The Government’s Role

This section of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 discusses the government’s role in providing Public Facilities to all.

The provision of public facilities to the population comes under the government’s jurisdiction. They must make sure that everyone has access to these amenities. Market profit is the primary goal of private businesses. In most public facilities, there is no potential for profit. Consequently, it is unlikely that a private corporation would be motivated to take on such a project. Private businesses, however, could be intrigued by some public facilities, such as schools and hospitals.

Living by the principle that people will get what they can pay will ensure that many people who cannot afford to pay will be deprived of the opportunity to live a decent life. In a city, some private companies also supply water through tankers or drinking water in a sealed bottles which is not available at affordable rates. T. Every person residing in this nation has the right to life, which the Constitution guarantees. Therefore, the government must ensure that everyone should be provided with essential public amenities like water, sanitation, healthcare, etc.

Where does the government get money for Public Facilities?

The annual budget is presented to Parliament each year. This is a breakdown of the government’s program costs for the last year and what it anticipates spending in the upcoming year.

Water supply to Chennai: Is it available to all?

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 discusses the case study of Chennai in this section.

All people should have access to public facilities. There aren’t enough of these amenities, though. The water supply in Chennai is marked by shortages. On average, municipal supply barely fulfills around half of the urban residents’ demands. The water supply is more consistent in certain places than in others. Colonies receive less water, while those closer to the storage stations receive more. The poor are primarily affected by water supply shortages. When there is water scarcity, the middle class can get by using several private strategies, including drilling borewells, purchasing water from tankers, and consuming bottled water. Some people have access to “safe” drinking water, but it depends on their financial situation. It appears that only those with money have the right to water, which is in stark contrast to the purpose of ensuring that everyone should have the access to “sufficient and safe” water.

In search of alternatives

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 talks about what alternatives could be found to date or those on which the government is working towards.

Chennai’s situation is not unusual. Other Indian cities have a  similar situation of severe crises and shortages throughout the summer. An increase in privately owned businesses that sell water for profit is progressively filling the gap in municipal water supplies. Significant disparities in water use are another common occurrence. According to a requirement established by the Urban Water Commission, each resident in an urban region of India should have access to 135 litres of water per day (or roughly seven buckets).

Individuals who live in luxurious hotels may use as much as 1,600 litres (80 buckets) of water per day, compared to people who live in slums who must get by on less than 20 litres (one bucket) per person per day. Municipal water shortages are an indicator of governmental failure. Some individuals think that private corporations should be permitted to take over since the government cannot provide the required amount of water due to local water departments going bankrupt. They’ll be capable of doing better.

Give a thought to the following details:

  • Water provision is the government’s duty everywhere around the globe. Private water supply is an infrequent occurrence.
  • There are places on earth where everyone can access the public water supply.
  • When water service was transferred to private firms in a few instances, the cost of water rose sharply, making it unaffordable for many. Massive demonstrations occurred in cities, and in certain countries, like Bolivia, riots broke out, prompting the government to retake control of the service from private providers.
  • There are a few instances of success in India’s government water ministries, but they are confined to particular facets of their job. Mumbai’s water supply agency receives enough revenue from water fees to meet its costs for providing water. According to a study, the department in Hyderabad has improved performance in tax collection and increased coverage. The agency has implemented many projects for rainwater collection in Chennai to raise groundwater levels. It has also utilized private enterprises to carry and distribute water, although the government’s water supply agency sets the price and authorizes the usage of water tankers. Hence, they are called “on contract”.

Our Indian Constitution recognizes the right to water, health, education, and other basic requirements as components of the right to life. Public facilities are related to our fundamental needs. Giving everyone access to proper public amenities is one of the government’s primary responsibilities. However, there is a lack of supplies and inadequate distribution. Towns and villages lack resources compared to metro areas and major cities, while impoverished locals lack services compared to wealthier localities. The solution is not to turn over these facilities to private businesses. The solution to this would be supplying these basic amenities to every person in the nation 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 Exercise and Solutions

For each chapter, the NCERT Solutions have been created by Extramarks’ experts. These solutions have proven helpful for exam preparation. Students can easily access a variety of study tools on the Extramarks’ website.

By getting access to Extramarks NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9, students can quickly gain an understanding of Public Facilities.

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Key features of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9

Extramarks platform is one of the best for delivering quality study material to students. Students get access to various materials, including past year’s exam papers, questions and answers, study guides, additional problems, and more. This and much more are available for all subjects and competitive exams. We give you reasons why choose Extramarks over anything else:

  • These solutions help students clarify their doubts and practice the exam writing pattern appropriately.
  • They cover all the chapter-related questions along with their comprehensive answers explained with proper instances and illustrations.
  • The answers in NCERT solutions are explained in detail, which gives students an idea of how to attempt a question in the final exam in the right manner
  • As the explanations are comprehensive, the fundamentals of the chapter are understood by the students in a better way.
  • These solutions save students’ time as they wouldn’t have to look for any other guidance or resources. They prove to be a one-stop solution for the students.
NCERT Solutions Class 8 (Civics – Social and Political Life) Chapter-wise List
Chapter 1 – The Indian Constitution
Chapter 2 – Understanding Secularism
Chapter 3 – Why do we need a Parliament
Chapter 4 – Understanding Laws
Chapter 5 – Judiciary
Chapter 6 – Understanding Our Criminal Justice System
Chapter 7 – Understanding Marginalisation
Chapter 8 – Confronting Marginalisation
Chapter 9 – Public Facilities
Chapter 10 – Law and Social Justice

Q.1 Why do you think there are so few cases of private water supply in the world?

Ans. Water is an essential need of the people whether rich or poor. It is the duty of every government to provide such basic and essential needs to their citizens as a public facility. In cases where water supply was placed in the hands of private companies, water became very expensive, making it unaffordable to the common people. This resulted in riots, protests and violent demonstrations in countries like Bolivia. Hence, it has been deemed best that the government must handle water supply services.

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

Ans. Water in Chennai is neither available to all nor affordable by all. Availability of a good, regular water supply is proportionate to the level of income one earns, in this city. Senior government officials in areas like Anna Nagar can get a whole water tanker arranged for themselves; most areas like Mylapore get water once in two days; in Madipakkam, people buy bottled water for drinking purposes but the situation is the worst in slums. Here, water supply runs for barely an hour everyday from a single tap serving over thirty families for all their water needs.

Q.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 ground water? Can the government do anything in this regard?

Ans. The sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai is affecting the local people in various ways:

  • The water being exploited is meant for irrigation. The sale of this water to dealers is affecting agriculture.
  • This water is also being taken from the drinking water supplies of the villagers. This has resulted in acute shortage of drinking water.
  • As a result of the heavy exploitation of water, the ground water levels dropped drastically in these areas.

Yes, the local people can and should object to the indiscriminate exploitation of ground water as it is a public facility and nature’s gift over which every person has equal right. No one has the right to sell it or own it exclusively.

The Government needs to immediately stop this indiscriminate exploitation of ground water. Our Constitution recognizes many of the public facilities including access to safe drinking water, as being a part of the Right to Life. So, the Government must see that these rights are protected so that everyone can lead a decent life.

Q.4 Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in towns or rural areas?

Ans. Private hospitals and private schools serve the people but at a price. Their main aim is to earn profit. People living in urban areas may be able to afford the services offered by private hospitals and private schools but it is not very likely that people living in rural areas can afford these services. Therefore, we find most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in small towns and rural areas.

Q.5 Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair? Give an example of your own to explain.

Ans. The distribution of public facilities is not adequate and fair. We find more public facilities in areas where people with a higher income live. Therefore, we find lesser public facilities in rural areas as compared to urban areas. Rural areas do not get adequate water supply. They also face constant power cuts. They also lack proper healthcare facilities and educational institutions.

Urban areas have more public facilities as compared to rural areas. But even in the cities, localities with people of higher income class will have more facilities. People living in and around the slums have very few or no public facilities.

Q.6 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.

Ans. Private educational institutes operate with the aim of making profit. They charge huge fee from the students which only the affluent class can afford. But at the same time, private institutes provide better facilities and quality education as they have to face a stiff competition among themselves.

On the other hand, government institutes work for public welfare rather than for profit. They don’t charge huge fee and are affordable to all. But they don’t offer the same facilities and quality as provided by private institutes.

The impact of this will be that students from rich families will get better education and they will excel in all competitive exams. But those from poor families won’t be able to match them and continue to lag behind. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to improve the standard government institutes so that the competition is even.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Why is Class 8 Chapter Public Facilities important?

Public facilities are essential since these are the necessities for a fundamental quality of existence. Some facilities include public transportation, educational institutions like schools and colleges, health facilities like hospitals, water and sanitation systems, and others. The Right to Life (Article 21), which the government supports, protects these public facilities. Government thus play a significant role in meeting the necessities of the people.

2. According to the Class 8 Syllabus, what are the situation and statistics about water diseases in India?

In India, water-related illnesses are relatively common. The number of cases of water illness in the nation is among the highest. Cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery are the most prevalent waterborne illnesses. As many as 1600 Indians die from water-related illnesses per day, most of whom are kids under the age of five. Water supply contamination, which results in unsuitability for drinking, is a contributing factor that leads to death. NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 in detail explains the same.