Q. Our urban bodies cannot possibly ensure sustainable delivery of water in our cities unless financing mechanisms are put in place.
Water delivery requires heavy investment in collecting it from a natural source, treating it to make it potable, and laying a distribution network of pipes for delivery to the users. It also requires investments in sewerage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants so that the sewers can carry the wastewater to these plants to ensure that no untreated sewage is discharged back into natural water bodies. If our cities were rich enough to meet the entire cost, water could be delivered free. They are not.
Q1. What is the most logical and crucial message conveyed by the passage?
(a) Urban local bodies must recover costs through user charges.
(b) Urban local bodies are not efficient enough to meet the water requirements of our cities.
(c) Water shortage in our cities is a perennial problem that cannot be solved.
(d) In view of the water crisis in our cities, there is an urgent need to limit the population of cities by adopting an upper limit of population size.
Correct Answer: (a) Urban local bodies must recover costs through user charges.
Q2. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Rich cities only can ensure sustainable delivery of water.
2. Sustainable delivery of water in cities means much more than supplying water households.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Question from UPSC Prelims 2020 CSAT Paper
Explanation :
Answer 1 – The most logical and crucial message conveyed by the passage is (a) Urban local bodies must recover costs through user charges. The passage emphasizes that financing mechanisms need to be put in place for the sustainable delivery of water in cities as cities are not rich enough to meet the entire cost of providing water free of cost.
Answer 2 – With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
Rich cities only can ensure sustainable delivery of water. – This assumption is not valid as the passage does not state that only rich cities can ensure sustainable delivery of water. It emphasizes the need for financing mechanisms and investments in infrastructure.
Sustainable delivery of water in cities means much more than supplying water households. – This assumption is valid as the passage mentions that water delivery requires investments in sewerage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged back into natural water bodies. This suggests that sustainable delivery of water in cities involves more than just supplying water to households.
Therefore, the answer is (b) 2 only.
