Chapter 7-Public Facilities Notes

Content Structure

1. Water and the People of Chennai
2. Water as Part of the Fundamental Right to Life
3. Public Facilities
4. The Government’s Role
- 4A. Public Transport
5. Water Supply to Chennai: Is it Available to All?
- 5A. Water in Rural Areas
6. Water Shortages and Solutions
7. Public Water Supply in Porto Alegre
8. Extending Sanitation Facilities
- 8A. Sulabh – Helping with Toilets
- 8B. How Sulabh Works
9. Conclusion

1. Water and the People of Chennai

In Chennai, different people get different amounts of water.

Rich people (Anna Nagar) – People like Mr. Ramagopal have plenty of water. If there is less water, he can easily call for a water tanker.
Middle-class people (Mylapore) – People like Subramanian get water only once in two days. Borewell water is salty, so they buy extra water from tankers, spending ₹500-600 every month.
Poorer people (Madipakkam) – People like Siva get water only once in four days. He buys bottled water and cannot bring his family to Chennai because of the water problem.
Very poor people (Saidapet slum) – People like Padma do not have water at home. They share one tap with many families and get water for only 20 minutes, twice a day. In summer, there is even less water, so they wait for hours and sometimes fight for water.

2. Water as Part of the Fundamental Right to Life

Water is very important for life and health. Clean water helps stop diseases like diarrhoea and cholera. Over 1,600 Indians, most of them children below the age of five, reportedly die every day because of water-related diseases. If everyone gets clean water, these problems can be avoided.

The Indian Constitution says that having water is a Right to Life (Article 21). This means every person, whether rich or poor, should get enough clean water at a price they can afford. The Supreme Court and other courts have said that safe drinking water is a basic right for everyone.

In 2007, a villager in Andhra Pradesh complained that a factory was making the water dirty. The High Court told the officials to give 25 litres of clean water to every person in that village. This shows that the law protects people’s right to have clean water.

3. Public Facilities

Just like water, there are other important things that everyone needs in their daily life. These include hospitals for healthcare, toilets for sanitation, electricity for power, buses and trains for travel, and schools and colleges for education. These are called public facilities because they are meant to help many people at the same time.

A school in a village allows many children to learn, study, and build a better future.
Electricity helps in different ways—farmers can pump water to grow crops, shopkeepers can run small businesses, and students can study better even at night.

Public facilities are very important because they make life easier and better for everyone in a community.

4. The Government’s Role

Public facilities are essential for everyone, and it is the government’s duty to provide them. Private companies work for profit, so they are not interested in services like cleaning drains or running health campaigns.

While private companies may offer schools, hospitals, and water, they charge prices that not everyone can afford. If basic services depend on payment, many people will struggle to live a decent life.

Public facilities meet basic needs, and the Constitution guarantees the Right to Life for all. Therefore, the government must ensure these services are available to everyone.

Where does the government get money for public facilities?

Every year, the government presents its budget in Parliament. This budget shows how much money was spent on different programs last year and how much is planned for the next year.
The government mainly collects money through taxes from the people. It uses these funds to run public services. For example, supplying water involves costs for pumping, transporting, laying pipes, purifying, and managing wastewater. These expenses are covered partly by taxes and partly by charging a reasonable price for water, ensuring that most people can afford a basic amount for daily use.

Private Companies Helping with Public Facilities

The government sometimes takes help from private companies to provide important services. For example, private companies build roads and supply electricity in Delhi. But the government must make sure that these companies do their work properly. They should give these services to everyone, not just rich people, and keep the prices low so that all people can afford them. The government checks their work to make sure they follow the rules and provide good service to everyone.

The government must take care of public facilities, even if private companies help. This is because private companies want to earn money and might not give services to everyone or make them too costly. For example, the government sets water prices. If people use too much water, the price goes up to stop wasting water. You can check your water bill to see the lowest price for water. The government also collects taxes to provide public facilities. Different people pay different taxes, like a job worker, a shopkeeper, and a business owner.

4A. Public Transport

Buses are very important for people to travel short distances, especially for workers going to their jobs. But as cities get bigger, there are not enough buses for everyone. To fix this, the government built metro trains in cities like Delhi. The first part of the Delhi Metro cost ₹11,000 crore and used new technology. Some people think this money could have been used to make the bus system better instead.

5. Water Supply to Chennai: Is it Available to All?

Water is very important, and everyone should have enough to use. But in Chennai, there is not enough water for all people. The government water supply gives only half of what people need. Some areas that are closer to water storage points receive more water, while those that are farther away get less.

Poor people have the hardest time because they do not have many options. Middle-class families can dig wells, buy water from tankers, or use bottled water. Rich people have more choices because they can buy bottled water and water purifiers. This means only people with money can get clean and safe drinking water, while poor people struggle. This is not fair because everyone should have enough clean water to drink and use.

5A. Water in Rural Areas

In villages, water is very important because it is needed for both people and animals. People get water from wells, hand pumps, ponds, and sometimes overhead tanks. However many of these water sources are privately owned, so not everyone can use them freely.

In cities, there is already a water shortage, but in villages, the problem is even bigger. There are fewer public water supplies, which makes it harder for people to get clean water for daily use. Many people have to walk long distances to collect water for drinking, cooking, and taking care of their animals.

Taking water from farmers

The water shortage has created big opportunities for private companies. Many companies supply water to cities by purchasing it from nearby areas.
In Chennai, water is brought from nearby towns like Mamandur, Palur, and Karungizhi using over 13,000 tankers. Water dealers pay farmers in advance to use their water sources. This reduces water available for farming and drinking in villages. As a result, groundwater levels in these areas have dropped significantly.

6. Water Shortages and Solutions

Water shortages are common in many Indian cities, especially during summer. Private companies are filling the gap by selling water for profit. However, there are big inequalities in water access. According to the Urban Water Commission, a person in an urban area should get about 135 litres of water daily (7 buckets). But in slums, people survive on less than 20 litres (1 bucket), while luxury hotels use up to 1,600 litres (80 buckets) per person daily.

Many see the municipal water shortage as a government failure. Some argue that private companies should take over since many government water departments are running at a loss. However, facts show:

Globally, water supply is mostly a government function, with very few private suppliers.
Some countries provide universal public water access successfully.
Privatisation has led to high water prices, making it unaffordable for many. Protests and riots, like in Bolivia, forced governments to take back control.
India has some successful government-run water departments. Mumbai funds its water supply through charges, Hyderabad has improved coverage and revenue collection, and Chennai uses rainwater harvesting. Chennai also allows private companies to transport water, but the government sets the rates and controls operations.

While private companies help in distribution, the government plays a key role in ensuring fair water access.

7. Public Water Supply in Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is a city in Brazil. Many poor people live there, but fewer babies die compared to other cities. This is because everyone gets clean and safe water.

The water department keeps the price low, and poor people pay only half of the normal rate. Any extra money made is used to make the water supply better.

The water department is fair. People can join meetings, listen to the managers, and vote on important projects. This helps make sure that everyone gets clean water and has a say in how things are done.

8. Extending Sanitation Facilities

Clean water and toilets are very important to stop diseases.
In India, more people have drinking water than toilets.
- 87% of homes have drinking water.
- Only 53% of homes have toilets.
Poor people in villages and cities suffer the most because they do not have proper toilets.

8A. Sulabh – Helping with Toilets

Sulabh is an NGO (a group that helps people).
It has been working for almost 50 years to build toilets for poor people.
Sulabh has built:
- 8,500 public toilets.
- 1.5 million home toilets.
- Helped 20 million people get better sanitation.

8B. How Sulabh Works

Sulabh works with the government to build toilets.
The government gives land and money for construction.
Some public toilets charge ₹2 for use to help with maintenance.

9. Conclusion

Public facilities like clean water, healthcare, and education are basic needs for everyone. The Indian Constitution says these are part of the Right to Life, so the government must provide them to all people. However, there is not enough supply, and poor people and villages get fewer facilities than rich areas and big cities. This is not fair, as everyone deserves equal access to these services. Some believe private companies should provide these facilities, but this may not be the best idea since they charge money and only those who can pay will get good services. The government must work harder to ensure all people get these basic needs equally so that everyone can live a safe and healthy life.