NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 – Public Facilities

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 – Public Facilities (Social Science), contains solutions to various questions in Exercise for Chapter 9. At the end of the Solutions, all the keywords and Notes which are important to understand Chapter 9 Public Facilities Class 8 Civics, have been explained in a simple and easy to understand manner. NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science help to check the concept you have learnt from detailed classroom sessions and application of your knowledge.

Category NCERT Solutions for Class 8
Subject Civics (Social Science)
Chapter Chapter 9 – Public Facilities

Download NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 – Public Facilities

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 – Public Facilities – NCERT Exercises

Question 1:-

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

Answer 1:-

Water is an essential element for life and good health and therefore everyone is entitled to the right to water. Irrespective of whether a person is rich or poor, they have the right to sufficient amounts of water at an affordable price to fulfill their needs. Since water is such an important public facility, the government usually takes responsibility for its provision. It has been noticed in the past that when the responsibility was given to  private companies, the price of water rose exceptionally high, making it difficult for people, especially the poor to access it. This lead to protests and riots. Thus, to reduce inequality to its access r, there are very few cases of private water supply.

Question 2:-

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

Answer 2:-

No, water in Chennai is not available to and affordable by all. Firstly, water supply is marked by severe shortages. Municipal water meets only half the needs of the people of the city. Secondly, the distribution of water is skewed as some areas get water more regularly than others. Moreover, it is mostly the poor who have to bear the brunt of the shortage of supply. The upper and middle classes can afford bottled water, buy water from tankers or get bore wells dug but so is not the case with poor Thus, the goal of universal access to water remains a distant dream.

Question 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 3:-

The sale of water by farmers to water dealers shows how private companies exploit the shortage of water for their own profit. They are providing water to cities by purchasing it from places around the city. The water dealers pay farmers an advance for the right to access water sources on the land. This has taken water away from agriculture as well as from the drinking water supplies of the locals. Ground water levels have also dropped in these villages and towns severely affecting the supply




Yes, the local people can object to such an exploitation as the right to sufficient amounts of water is their Fundamental Right under Article 21 stating measures for  Right to life

Question 4:-

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

Answer 4:

Private companies operate for profit in the market. People in towns and rural areas are not as well offcompared to the city dwellers, and thus a private firm would not acquire any profit by setting up hospitals or schools in such areas. On the other hand, people in cities will be willing and able to avail the expensive services provided by these companies, making it profitable for the latter.

Question 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 5:-

No, I do not think that the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair. There is a shortage in supply of facilities like clean drinking water,proper healthcare, basic education and public transport. Shortage in Municipal supply of water is creating opportunities for private companies that sell water for a profit. As compared to the metros and large cities, most rural areas and slums are underprovided. Water is available only at a particular time of the day and power cuts are common. Slums are far from hygiene and proper sanitation facilities and are many a times the epicenter of various diseases as people live in close proximity in an unhealthy habitat. In such a dire situation, handing over these facilities to private companies is clearly not the answer.

Question 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 6:-

Is it

available?

 How can it be improved?
Water Yes By checking the quality of water supplied.
Electricity Yes By reducing frequent electricity cut-offs.
Road Yes Roads should be better equipped for the rainy season.
Public

Transport

 Yes It is well connected as public transports like the metro and buses are readily available.

Question 7:-

Are the above public facilities shared equally by all the people in your area? Elaborate.

Answer 7:-

No, the above public facilities are not shared equally by all. For example, the domestic servants or daily wage labourers who live nearby in the nearby slum areas do not have access to all these facilities. Availability of water and electricity remain uncertain. The roads in their localities are ill-maintained. Only public transport can be equally accessed by all.

Question 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 8:-

To be done under the guidance of the teacher.

Question 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 9:-

Private educational institutions are rapidly increasing in different parts of the country making education expensive and practically unaffordable for the poor or even for the middle class. Simultaneously, government runned institutions are becoming less and less important, thus leading to a decline in the quality of their services. In the long run, this could lead to a fall in the literacy rate of our country. It will make universal education even more difficult to achieve as the poor will not have access to quality education. This will further increase the gap between the rich and  poor.




Topics Covered in Public Facilities Chapter 9 Civics (Social Science)

  • 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

Important Terms Relevant for NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 9 – Public Facilities :

Sanitation: It refers to facilities relating to the safe disposal of human excreta and urine. It is the process of dealing with sewage and includes construction of toilets, treatment of waste water. It is important to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Company: It is a business organization. It can be run by private individuals or by the government.

Universal access: Universal access means that everyone should have equal access to a particular facility and no one should be deprived of it.

Basic needs: The minimum requirements like food, water, shelter, hygiene that are essential for survival.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics

NCERT Solutions for Class 8

CBSE Notes for Class 8

Worksheets for Class 8

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