NCERT Class 6 Civics Chapter 7 - Urban Administration

Chapter 7 - Urban Administration

Question 1: Why did the children go to Yasmin Khala's house?
Answer: The children wanted to replace the street light, which was broken by them. Hence, Rehana suggested that the children visit Yasmin Kala’s house to understand the procedures for getting it replaced. Yasmin Kala lived in the same lane and had just retired from Municipal Corporation.

Question 2: List four ways in which the work of the Municipal Corporation affects the life of a city-dweller.
Answer:
• Construction of roads, street lights, parks, etc.
• Disposal of garbage
• Maintenance of drainage system
• Supply of drinking water and electricity

Question 3: Who is a Municipal Councillor?
Answer: A Municipal Councillor is an elected representative of a ward. He is also known as Ward Councillor.

Question 4: What did Gangabai do and why?
Answer: She was protesting against the Ward councillor due to the lack of maintenance of streets. The garbage was not being disposed of and this was creating a menace in the locality due to dogs, rats, flies and mosquitoes.

Question 5: How does the Municipal Corporation earn the money to do its work?
Answer: They usually earn their money by imposing the taxes on Education, on hotels and shops, Movie, House etc.

Question 6: Discuss

In the two photographs you see different ways of collecting and disposing garbage.
i) Which way do you think provides safety to the person disposing garbage?
ii) What are the dangers of collecting garbage in the manner shown in the first photograph?
iii) Why do you think that proper ways of disposing garbage are not available to those who work in municipalities?
Answer:
i) The 2nd photo shows the right and safer way of disposing of the garbage.
ii) The person collecting garbage will fall sick due to various diseases.
iii) The proper ways of disposing of garbage are not available to those who work in municipalities because firstly, the government has not done proper arrangements for this as yet. It has provided trucks no doubt but their number is not sufficient. Secondly, the workers working in the municipalities are generally less aware of health and hygiene. They do not bother whether garbage is being disposed of properly or not. Thirdly, the economic condition of the municipalities is not good.

Question 7: Several poor people in the city work as domestic servants as well as work for the Corporation, keeping the city clean. Yet the slums in which they live are quite filthy. This is because these slums seldom have any water and sanitation facilities. The reason often given by the Municipal Corporation is that the land in which the poor have set up their homes does not belong to them and that slum-dwellers do not pay taxes. However people living in middle class neighbourhoods pay very little in taxes compared to the amount of money the corporation spends on them in setting up parks, street lighting facilities, regular garbage collection etc. Also as you read in this chapter, the property taxes collected by the Municipality makes up only 25-30 per cent of its money. Why do you think it is important that the Corporation should spend more money on slum localities? Why is it important that the Municipal Corporation provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get?
Answer: It is important that the corporation should spend more money on slum localities because slum-dwellers are also a part of our society. They need education, sanitation, rehabilitation, and other facilities as the common people avail. They are also human beings. They lack even basic amenities of life which cause the spread of many diseases among them. They are the citizens of our country. So in order to achieve our constitutional ideals, the Municipal Corporation should provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get.

Question 8: Look at the image below.

The Government of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2 October 2014 to promote cleanliness in both rural and urban areas all over the nation. Under the “Swachh Bharat, Swachh Vidyalaya” campaign, many activities are also being carried out in schools to generate awareness on sanitation and hygiene amongst students. Observe the ways in which “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” is being implemented by municipality / panchayat in your locality. Prepare a poster and display it in your school.
Answer: This is an activity that students need to carry out at their school.