Public Facilities

Essential facilities that need to be provided for everyone. Water, healthcare, sanitation, electricity, public transport, and schools.

Once it is provided, its benefits can be shared by many people. (e.g., A school benefits many kids, electricity benefits many houses).

The Government. Because private companies operate for profit and would not provide these to the poor at affordable rates.

Yes. Courts have interpreted Article 21 (Right to Life) to include the Right to Safe Drinking Water.

Shortage. Municipal supply meets only half the needs. Rich buy water tankers. Poor suffer or wait for hours at communal taps.

To fund public facilities. The money collected as tax is used to build roads, supply water, etc.

Prices usually go up. The poor get excluded. This is contrary to the goal of separate universal access.

Water supply was privatized. Prices soared. Riots broke out. Government had to take back the water supply.

Everyone, regardless of income, should have physical and financial access to basic needs like water/health.

Poor. More people have mobile phones than toilets (irony). Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims to fix this.

A non-government organization that builds pay-and-use toilets. It constructs twin-pit pour-flush toilets. It solves sanitation for the poor while making it sustainable.

A city in Brazil. It has lower infant mortality than rich cities. The city govt involves people in budget decisions (Participatory Budgeting) and prioritizes water/health.

Because government facilities are often inadequate or of perceived poor quality. But they are expensive.

Trains connecting the city to the suburbs (e.g., Mumbai locals). The lifeline of the city.

An account of the government's expected income (revenue) and expenditure for the coming year.

Income tax, GST, Corporate tax, Excise duty, etc.

Ideally no. But private companies see it as a market. Bottled water is a huge industry.

They can help (e.g., building roads on contract, cleaning), but the ultimate responsibility/pricing should be with the government to ensure affordability.

Unsafe drinking water (Cholera, Dysentery, Diarrhoea). India has high cases.

Urban standard is 135 litres per day. Slum dwellers get < 20 litres.

Right to Water is part of Article 21.

Public facilities are shared benefits.

Government's primary role is welfare.

Taxes fund facilities.

Private companies work for profit.

Chennai faces acute water crisis.

Borewells deplete groundwater.

Water tankers are a business.

Farmers sell water to cities (depriving agriculture).

Inequality in water supply (Rich vs Poor).

Mumbai suburban rail is public transport.

Sanitation prevents disease.

Sulabh Shauchalaya is a success story.

Sulabh was founded by Bindeshwar Pathak.

Porto Alegre is in Brazil.

Participatory democracy works.

Budget is presented in Parliament (Feb 1).

Finance Minister presents budget.

GST is Goods and Services Tax.

User charges cover some costs.

Subsidies help the poor.

Electricity is a public utility.

Metro Rail is expanding.

BRTS provides bus corridors.

Safe water reduces mortality.

Children are most vulnerable to water diseases.

1600 Indians die daily due to Diarrhoea.

Privatization of water failed in Bolivia.

UN recognizes Right to Water (2002).

Sustainable Development Goal 6 is Clean Water/Sanitation.

Government schools provide midday meals.

Health centres provide vaccinations.

Pulse Polio is a govt campaign.

Roads are public goods.

Street lights are public goods.

Parks are public goods.

Equitable distribution is the challenge.

UN Right to Water

Swachh Bharat Mission launched