Q1.
Can you think of four or five more actions that responsible citizens might take to help their area of the city?
Answer
The chapter has already given two examples on page 177 — follow the instructions on waste segregation so that “garbage collection becomes easier”, and report a water leak promptly so that it “will prevent further wastage of precious water”. Here are five more, each matched to the municipal function it helps.
| What a responsible citizen does | Which municipal work it helps | Why it makes a difference |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Never throw waste on the street or in a drain — use the dustbin and hand waste to the collection vehicle | Solid waste management | A drain choked with plastic is the commonest cause of a flooded road in the monsoon |
| 2. Pay property tax and water charges on time | Collection of local taxes | This is the money the body uses for roads, water and sanitation. Unpaid tax means unbuilt roads |
| 3. Report problems through the proper channel — the ward committee, the councillor, or the CRM grievance system of Fig. 12.4 | Grievances, repairs, infrastructure | A body cannot repair a fault it has not been told about; a written complaint can be tracked |
| 4. Take part in ward activities — health camps, tree planting, cleanliness drives, the campaign against single-use plastics | Public health and the environment | Ward committees “facilitate activities such as conducting health camps”; they need volunteers to succeed |
| 5. Look after public property — do not damage street lights, bus stops, park benches, taps or signboards; do not stick posters on walls | Maintenance of infrastructure | Every rupee spent replacing what was broken on purpose is a rupee not spent on something new |
| 6. Save water and electricity, and keep your own frontage clean — mend a dripping tap, do not let a hose run, sweep the space in front of your house or shop | Water supply and cleanliness | A city’s water is shared. What one household wastes, another household does not get |
Two more that older students can add: vote in the municipal election and encourage the adults at home to vote; and follow the rules the city depends on — park where parking is allowed, do not encroach on a footpath, and obey traffic signals.
Why this box comes here: the paragraph just above it says that “for these bodies to be able to perform their functions efficiently, people living in the city must also perform their duties”. The chapter is making a single point twice — a participatory democracy has no spectators. The urban local body supplies the system; the citizens supply the care.
Try this in your own class: pick just one of the actions above and do it for a month as a class project — say, a segregated-waste corner in the classroom, or a written complaint to the ward office about one real problem near the school. Record what happened. That single record is worth more than a list of ten promises.