NCERT Textbook: Urban Administration | Indian Polity for UPSC CSE PDF Download

 Page 1


A city is much bigger than a village and more 
spread out. A city has crowded markets, many 
buses and cars, water and electricity facilities, 
traffic control and hospitals. Have you ever 
wondered who is responsible for running all 
this? Do you know how decisions are made? 
How the planning is done? Who are the people 
who do all the work? Read this chapter and 
find some answers.
Chapter 6
Urban 
Administration
O
ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala 
and her friends Shankar, Jehangir 
and Rehana were playing a game of 
cricket in the street.
Shankar had bowled a good over 
and although he nearly managed to 
get Rehana out, she was still batting. 
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and 
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. 
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard 
and so high that the street light broke. 
Rehana screamed, “Oh no, look what 
I’ve done!” Shankar said, “Yes! we 
forgot to make a rule that if you break 
the street light you are automatically  
out.” But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana 
were more worried about what had 
happened and they told Shankar he’d 
better stop thinking  about the wicket.
Last week they had broken Nirmala 
Mausi’s window and had spent their 
pocket money to have it replaced. Would 
they have to dish out money again from 
their pockets? But  who would they pay 
this to? To whom did the lights on the 
streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana’s house was the closest and 
they ran and told her mother what had 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   50 14-11-2022   04:31:38 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 2


A city is much bigger than a village and more 
spread out. A city has crowded markets, many 
buses and cars, water and electricity facilities, 
traffic control and hospitals. Have you ever 
wondered who is responsible for running all 
this? Do you know how decisions are made? 
How the planning is done? Who are the people 
who do all the work? Read this chapter and 
find some answers.
Chapter 6
Urban 
Administration
O
ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala 
and her friends Shankar, Jehangir 
and Rehana were playing a game of 
cricket in the street.
Shankar had bowled a good over 
and although he nearly managed to 
get Rehana out, she was still batting. 
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and 
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. 
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard 
and so high that the street light broke. 
Rehana screamed, “Oh no, look what 
I’ve done!” Shankar said, “Yes! we 
forgot to make a rule that if you break 
the street light you are automatically  
out.” But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana 
were more worried about what had 
happened and they told Shankar he’d 
better stop thinking  about the wicket.
Last week they had broken Nirmala 
Mausi’s window and had spent their 
pocket money to have it replaced. Would 
they have to dish out money again from 
their pockets? But  who would they pay 
this to? To whom did the lights on the 
streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana’s house was the closest and 
they ran and told her mother what had 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   50 14-11-2022   04:31:38 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 51 
them,” said Yasmin Khala. Then she 
added, “Our city Pune is a big city 
and so here it is called a Municipal 
Corporation. In smaller towns it is 
called a Municipal Council.”
The Ward Councillor and 
Administrative Staff
“Yasmin Khala, I’m curious. Who decides 
where a park should go? Did you have 
to make interesting decisions like this 
when you worked in the Municipal 
Corporation?” asked Rehana.
“No Rehana, I was working in the 
accounts office of the Corporation so I  
just worked on pay slips. Cities are 
usually quite large so the Municipal 
Corporation has to make a lot of decisions 
as well as do a lot of work to keep the 
city clean. The decisions like where a 
park or a new hospital should go are 
usually made by the Ward Councillors.”
happened. Rehana’s mother said, “I 
don’t really know these things in great 
detail but I do know that it is the Municipal 
Corporation of the city that takes care 
of replacing lights. The best person to 
ask would be Yasmin Khala. She just 
retired from the Municipal Corporation. 
Go and ask her, and Rehana come back 
home soon.”
Yasmin Khala lived in the same 
lane and she and Rehana’s mother 
were good friends. The children ran to 
Khala’s house and when she opened 
the door they began to tell her what 
had happened all at once! When they 
asked about the street light, Yasmin 
Khala laughed and said, “There is no 
one person that you can pay the money 
to. There is a big organisation called the 
Municipal Corporation that takes care of 
street lights, garbage collection, water 
supply, keeping the streets and the 
market clean.”
“I’ve heard about the Municipal 
Corporation. They’ve put up signs 
around the city to inform people about 
malaria,” said Mala.
“Yes, you are quite right. The 
Municipal Corporation is also 
responsible for ensuring that diseases 
do not break out in the city. It also runs 
schools, hospitals and dispensaries. 
And makes gardens and maintains 
List at least four different tasks 
that the Municipality does:
1.
2.
3.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   51 14-11-2022   04:31:39 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 3


A city is much bigger than a village and more 
spread out. A city has crowded markets, many 
buses and cars, water and electricity facilities, 
traffic control and hospitals. Have you ever 
wondered who is responsible for running all 
this? Do you know how decisions are made? 
How the planning is done? Who are the people 
who do all the work? Read this chapter and 
find some answers.
Chapter 6
Urban 
Administration
O
ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala 
and her friends Shankar, Jehangir 
and Rehana were playing a game of 
cricket in the street.
Shankar had bowled a good over 
and although he nearly managed to 
get Rehana out, she was still batting. 
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and 
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. 
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard 
and so high that the street light broke. 
Rehana screamed, “Oh no, look what 
I’ve done!” Shankar said, “Yes! we 
forgot to make a rule that if you break 
the street light you are automatically  
out.” But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana 
were more worried about what had 
happened and they told Shankar he’d 
better stop thinking  about the wicket.
Last week they had broken Nirmala 
Mausi’s window and had spent their 
pocket money to have it replaced. Would 
they have to dish out money again from 
their pockets? But  who would they pay 
this to? To whom did the lights on the 
streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana’s house was the closest and 
they ran and told her mother what had 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   50 14-11-2022   04:31:38 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 51 
them,” said Yasmin Khala. Then she 
added, “Our city Pune is a big city 
and so here it is called a Municipal 
Corporation. In smaller towns it is 
called a Municipal Council.”
The Ward Councillor and 
Administrative Staff
“Yasmin Khala, I’m curious. Who decides 
where a park should go? Did you have 
to make interesting decisions like this 
when you worked in the Municipal 
Corporation?” asked Rehana.
“No Rehana, I was working in the 
accounts office of the Corporation so I  
just worked on pay slips. Cities are 
usually quite large so the Municipal 
Corporation has to make a lot of decisions 
as well as do a lot of work to keep the 
city clean. The decisions like where a 
park or a new hospital should go are 
usually made by the Ward Councillors.”
happened. Rehana’s mother said, “I 
don’t really know these things in great 
detail but I do know that it is the Municipal 
Corporation of the city that takes care 
of replacing lights. The best person to 
ask would be Yasmin Khala. She just 
retired from the Municipal Corporation. 
Go and ask her, and Rehana come back 
home soon.”
Yasmin Khala lived in the same 
lane and she and Rehana’s mother 
were good friends. The children ran to 
Khala’s house and when she opened 
the door they began to tell her what 
had happened all at once! When they 
asked about the street light, Yasmin 
Khala laughed and said, “There is no 
one person that you can pay the money 
to. There is a big organisation called the 
Municipal Corporation that takes care of 
street lights, garbage collection, water 
supply, keeping the streets and the 
market clean.”
“I’ve heard about the Municipal 
Corporation. They’ve put up signs 
around the city to inform people about 
malaria,” said Mala.
“Yes, you are quite right. The 
Municipal Corporation is also 
responsible for ensuring that diseases 
do not break out in the city. It also runs 
schools, hospitals and dispensaries. 
And makes gardens and maintains 
List at least four different tasks 
that the Municipality does:
1.
2.
3.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   51 14-11-2022   04:31:39 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
52 / Social and Political Life
The city is divided into different 
wards and ward councillors get elected.  
The complicated decisions that affect  
the entire city are taken by groups of 
councillors who form committees to 
decide and debate issues.  For example, 
if bus stands need to be improved, or 
a crowded market-place needs to have 
its garbage cleared more regularly, 
or there is a ‘nala’ or drain that cuts 
through the city that needs cleaning 
etc. It is these committees for water, 
garbage collection, street lighting etc. 
that decide on the work to be done.
When the problems are within a 
ward then the people who live in the 
ward can contact their councillors. 
For example, if there are dangerous 
electrical wires hanging down then the 
local Councillor can help them get in 
touch with the electricity authority.
While the Councillor’s Committees 
and the councillors decide on issues, 
the Commissioner and the adminis- 
trative staff implement these. The 
Commissioner and the administrative 
staff are appointed. Councillors are 
elected.
“So how are these decisions made?” 
asked Rehana who never gave up on 
her train of thought.
“Well, all of the Ward Councillors 
meet and they make a budget and the 
money is spent according to this. The 
Ward Councillors  try and ensure that 
the particular demands of their wards 
are placed before the entire council. 
These decisions are then implemented 
by the administrative staff,” said 
How does the Municipal 
Corporation get its money? 
Providing and running so many 
services requires a lot of money. The 
Municipal Corporation collects this in 
different ways. A tax is a sum of money 
that people pay to the government for 
the services the government provides. 
People who own homes have to pay a 
property tax as well as taxes for water 
and other services. The larger the house 
the more the tax. Property taxes however 
form only 25-30 per cent of the money 
that a Municipal Corporation earns.
There are also taxes for education and 
other amenities. If you own a hotel or 
shop then you have to pay a tax for 
this as well. Also the next time you go 
to see a movie look carefully at your 
ticket because you pay a tax for this 
as well. Thus while rich people account 
for property taxes, a much wider 
population pays more general taxes.
Fill in the blanks in the sentences 
below:
1.  In a panchayat the elected 
members are called ___________.
2.  The city is divided into several 
___________.
3.  In a municipal corporation the 
elected members are called _______.
4.  Groups of councillors deal with 
issues that affect the ___________.
5.  Elections are held once every 
___________ years for the panchayat 
as well as for the municipality
6.  While the councillors make 
decisions the administrative 
staff led by the Commissioner 
___________ these.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   52 14-11-2022   04:31:40 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 4


A city is much bigger than a village and more 
spread out. A city has crowded markets, many 
buses and cars, water and electricity facilities, 
traffic control and hospitals. Have you ever 
wondered who is responsible for running all 
this? Do you know how decisions are made? 
How the planning is done? Who are the people 
who do all the work? Read this chapter and 
find some answers.
Chapter 6
Urban 
Administration
O
ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala 
and her friends Shankar, Jehangir 
and Rehana were playing a game of 
cricket in the street.
Shankar had bowled a good over 
and although he nearly managed to 
get Rehana out, she was still batting. 
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and 
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. 
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard 
and so high that the street light broke. 
Rehana screamed, “Oh no, look what 
I’ve done!” Shankar said, “Yes! we 
forgot to make a rule that if you break 
the street light you are automatically  
out.” But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana 
were more worried about what had 
happened and they told Shankar he’d 
better stop thinking  about the wicket.
Last week they had broken Nirmala 
Mausi’s window and had spent their 
pocket money to have it replaced. Would 
they have to dish out money again from 
their pockets? But  who would they pay 
this to? To whom did the lights on the 
streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana’s house was the closest and 
they ran and told her mother what had 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   50 14-11-2022   04:31:38 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 51 
them,” said Yasmin Khala. Then she 
added, “Our city Pune is a big city 
and so here it is called a Municipal 
Corporation. In smaller towns it is 
called a Municipal Council.”
The Ward Councillor and 
Administrative Staff
“Yasmin Khala, I’m curious. Who decides 
where a park should go? Did you have 
to make interesting decisions like this 
when you worked in the Municipal 
Corporation?” asked Rehana.
“No Rehana, I was working in the 
accounts office of the Corporation so I  
just worked on pay slips. Cities are 
usually quite large so the Municipal 
Corporation has to make a lot of decisions 
as well as do a lot of work to keep the 
city clean. The decisions like where a 
park or a new hospital should go are 
usually made by the Ward Councillors.”
happened. Rehana’s mother said, “I 
don’t really know these things in great 
detail but I do know that it is the Municipal 
Corporation of the city that takes care 
of replacing lights. The best person to 
ask would be Yasmin Khala. She just 
retired from the Municipal Corporation. 
Go and ask her, and Rehana come back 
home soon.”
Yasmin Khala lived in the same 
lane and she and Rehana’s mother 
were good friends. The children ran to 
Khala’s house and when she opened 
the door they began to tell her what 
had happened all at once! When they 
asked about the street light, Yasmin 
Khala laughed and said, “There is no 
one person that you can pay the money 
to. There is a big organisation called the 
Municipal Corporation that takes care of 
street lights, garbage collection, water 
supply, keeping the streets and the 
market clean.”
“I’ve heard about the Municipal 
Corporation. They’ve put up signs 
around the city to inform people about 
malaria,” said Mala.
“Yes, you are quite right. The 
Municipal Corporation is also 
responsible for ensuring that diseases 
do not break out in the city. It also runs 
schools, hospitals and dispensaries. 
And makes gardens and maintains 
List at least four different tasks 
that the Municipality does:
1.
2.
3.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   51 14-11-2022   04:31:39 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
52 / Social and Political Life
The city is divided into different 
wards and ward councillors get elected.  
The complicated decisions that affect  
the entire city are taken by groups of 
councillors who form committees to 
decide and debate issues.  For example, 
if bus stands need to be improved, or 
a crowded market-place needs to have 
its garbage cleared more regularly, 
or there is a ‘nala’ or drain that cuts 
through the city that needs cleaning 
etc. It is these committees for water, 
garbage collection, street lighting etc. 
that decide on the work to be done.
When the problems are within a 
ward then the people who live in the 
ward can contact their councillors. 
For example, if there are dangerous 
electrical wires hanging down then the 
local Councillor can help them get in 
touch with the electricity authority.
While the Councillor’s Committees 
and the councillors decide on issues, 
the Commissioner and the adminis- 
trative staff implement these. The 
Commissioner and the administrative 
staff are appointed. Councillors are 
elected.
“So how are these decisions made?” 
asked Rehana who never gave up on 
her train of thought.
“Well, all of the Ward Councillors 
meet and they make a budget and the 
money is spent according to this. The 
Ward Councillors  try and ensure that 
the particular demands of their wards 
are placed before the entire council. 
These decisions are then implemented 
by the administrative staff,” said 
How does the Municipal 
Corporation get its money? 
Providing and running so many 
services requires a lot of money. The 
Municipal Corporation collects this in 
different ways. A tax is a sum of money 
that people pay to the government for 
the services the government provides. 
People who own homes have to pay a 
property tax as well as taxes for water 
and other services. The larger the house 
the more the tax. Property taxes however 
form only 25-30 per cent of the money 
that a Municipal Corporation earns.
There are also taxes for education and 
other amenities. If you own a hotel or 
shop then you have to pay a tax for 
this as well. Also the next time you go 
to see a movie look carefully at your 
ticket because you pay a tax for this 
as well. Thus while rich people account 
for property taxes, a much wider 
population pays more general taxes.
Fill in the blanks in the sentences 
below:
1.  In a panchayat the elected 
members are called ___________.
2.  The city is divided into several 
___________.
3.  In a municipal corporation the 
elected members are called _______.
4.  Groups of councillors deal with 
issues that affect the ___________.
5.  Elections are held once every 
___________ years for the panchayat 
as well as for the municipality
6.  While the councillors make 
decisions the administrative 
staff led by the Commissioner 
___________ these.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   52 14-11-2022   04:31:40 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 53 
Yasmin Khala, 
enjoying the questions 
that the children 
asked. No adults 
asked her about her 
job and the children’s 
questions provided 
her an opportunity 
to relive some of her 
experiences.
“But the city is so 
large.  It must take a lot 
of people to look after 
it. Does the Municipal 
Corporation have a lot 
of workers?” asked 
Shankar curiously. He 
had by now luckily 
forgotten about the 
cricket match and his 
incomplete over.
“Yes, the work in the city is divided 
into different departments. So there 
is the water department, the garbage 
collection department, a department 
to look after gardens, another to look 
after roads. I worked on accounts in the 
sanitation department,” said Yasmin 
Khala and then went on to offer the 
children some kababs to eat.
Jehangir ate his kababs at top 
speed and as he wolfed them down he 
asked loudly from the kitchen, “Yasmin 
Khala where does the garbage that 
the Municipal Corporation collects go 
to?”. The others were still eating when 
Yasmin Khala began to answer, “This 
question has an interesting answer. As 
you know you can usually find garbage 
Recycling is not a new thing. People like the man in the photo 
above have been recycling paper, metal, glass and plastic for 
a long time. The kabadi wallah plays a major role in recycling 
household plastic and paper, including your note books.
lying all over the street. Earlier even our 
neighbourhood used to have garbage  
lying all over, and if this remains  
uncollected it attracts dogs, rats and 
flies. Also, people get ill from the smell.  
At one point things became so bad that 
children even stopped playing cricket in 
the street because their  parents  were  
afraid  that they’d get sick from staying 
on the streets too long.”
A Community Protest
Yasmin Khala continued, “The women 
were very unhappy about the situation 
and even came to me for advice. I 
said I could try and speak with some 
officer in the department but I wasn’t  
sure how long it would take. Then it 
was Gangabai who said that it is the 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   53 14-11-2022   04:31:40 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 5


A city is much bigger than a village and more 
spread out. A city has crowded markets, many 
buses and cars, water and electricity facilities, 
traffic control and hospitals. Have you ever 
wondered who is responsible for running all 
this? Do you know how decisions are made? 
How the planning is done? Who are the people 
who do all the work? Read this chapter and 
find some answers.
Chapter 6
Urban 
Administration
O
ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala 
and her friends Shankar, Jehangir 
and Rehana were playing a game of 
cricket in the street.
Shankar had bowled a good over 
and although he nearly managed to 
get Rehana out, she was still batting. 
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and 
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. 
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard 
and so high that the street light broke. 
Rehana screamed, “Oh no, look what 
I’ve done!” Shankar said, “Yes! we 
forgot to make a rule that if you break 
the street light you are automatically  
out.” But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana 
were more worried about what had 
happened and they told Shankar he’d 
better stop thinking  about the wicket.
Last week they had broken Nirmala 
Mausi’s window and had spent their 
pocket money to have it replaced. Would 
they have to dish out money again from 
their pockets? But  who would they pay 
this to? To whom did the lights on the 
streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana’s house was the closest and 
they ran and told her mother what had 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   50 14-11-2022   04:31:38 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 51 
them,” said Yasmin Khala. Then she 
added, “Our city Pune is a big city 
and so here it is called a Municipal 
Corporation. In smaller towns it is 
called a Municipal Council.”
The Ward Councillor and 
Administrative Staff
“Yasmin Khala, I’m curious. Who decides 
where a park should go? Did you have 
to make interesting decisions like this 
when you worked in the Municipal 
Corporation?” asked Rehana.
“No Rehana, I was working in the 
accounts office of the Corporation so I  
just worked on pay slips. Cities are 
usually quite large so the Municipal 
Corporation has to make a lot of decisions 
as well as do a lot of work to keep the 
city clean. The decisions like where a 
park or a new hospital should go are 
usually made by the Ward Councillors.”
happened. Rehana’s mother said, “I 
don’t really know these things in great 
detail but I do know that it is the Municipal 
Corporation of the city that takes care 
of replacing lights. The best person to 
ask would be Yasmin Khala. She just 
retired from the Municipal Corporation. 
Go and ask her, and Rehana come back 
home soon.”
Yasmin Khala lived in the same 
lane and she and Rehana’s mother 
were good friends. The children ran to 
Khala’s house and when she opened 
the door they began to tell her what 
had happened all at once! When they 
asked about the street light, Yasmin 
Khala laughed and said, “There is no 
one person that you can pay the money 
to. There is a big organisation called the 
Municipal Corporation that takes care of 
street lights, garbage collection, water 
supply, keeping the streets and the 
market clean.”
“I’ve heard about the Municipal 
Corporation. They’ve put up signs 
around the city to inform people about 
malaria,” said Mala.
“Yes, you are quite right. The 
Municipal Corporation is also 
responsible for ensuring that diseases 
do not break out in the city. It also runs 
schools, hospitals and dispensaries. 
And makes gardens and maintains 
List at least four different tasks 
that the Municipality does:
1.
2.
3.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   51 14-11-2022   04:31:39 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
52 / Social and Political Life
The city is divided into different 
wards and ward councillors get elected.  
The complicated decisions that affect  
the entire city are taken by groups of 
councillors who form committees to 
decide and debate issues.  For example, 
if bus stands need to be improved, or 
a crowded market-place needs to have 
its garbage cleared more regularly, 
or there is a ‘nala’ or drain that cuts 
through the city that needs cleaning 
etc. It is these committees for water, 
garbage collection, street lighting etc. 
that decide on the work to be done.
When the problems are within a 
ward then the people who live in the 
ward can contact their councillors. 
For example, if there are dangerous 
electrical wires hanging down then the 
local Councillor can help them get in 
touch with the electricity authority.
While the Councillor’s Committees 
and the councillors decide on issues, 
the Commissioner and the adminis- 
trative staff implement these. The 
Commissioner and the administrative 
staff are appointed. Councillors are 
elected.
“So how are these decisions made?” 
asked Rehana who never gave up on 
her train of thought.
“Well, all of the Ward Councillors 
meet and they make a budget and the 
money is spent according to this. The 
Ward Councillors  try and ensure that 
the particular demands of their wards 
are placed before the entire council. 
These decisions are then implemented 
by the administrative staff,” said 
How does the Municipal 
Corporation get its money? 
Providing and running so many 
services requires a lot of money. The 
Municipal Corporation collects this in 
different ways. A tax is a sum of money 
that people pay to the government for 
the services the government provides. 
People who own homes have to pay a 
property tax as well as taxes for water 
and other services. The larger the house 
the more the tax. Property taxes however 
form only 25-30 per cent of the money 
that a Municipal Corporation earns.
There are also taxes for education and 
other amenities. If you own a hotel or 
shop then you have to pay a tax for 
this as well. Also the next time you go 
to see a movie look carefully at your 
ticket because you pay a tax for this 
as well. Thus while rich people account 
for property taxes, a much wider 
population pays more general taxes.
Fill in the blanks in the sentences 
below:
1.  In a panchayat the elected 
members are called ___________.
2.  The city is divided into several 
___________.
3.  In a municipal corporation the 
elected members are called _______.
4.  Groups of councillors deal with 
issues that affect the ___________.
5.  Elections are held once every 
___________ years for the panchayat 
as well as for the municipality
6.  While the councillors make 
decisions the administrative 
staff led by the Commissioner 
___________ these.
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   52 14-11-2022   04:31:40 PM
Rationalised 2023-24
Urban Administration / 53 
Yasmin Khala, 
enjoying the questions 
that the children 
asked. No adults 
asked her about her 
job and the children’s 
questions provided 
her an opportunity 
to relive some of her 
experiences.
“But the city is so 
large.  It must take a lot 
of people to look after 
it. Does the Municipal 
Corporation have a lot 
of workers?” asked 
Shankar curiously. He 
had by now luckily 
forgotten about the 
cricket match and his 
incomplete over.
“Yes, the work in the city is divided 
into different departments. So there 
is the water department, the garbage 
collection department, a department 
to look after gardens, another to look 
after roads. I worked on accounts in the 
sanitation department,” said Yasmin 
Khala and then went on to offer the 
children some kababs to eat.
Jehangir ate his kababs at top 
speed and as he wolfed them down he 
asked loudly from the kitchen, “Yasmin 
Khala where does the garbage that 
the Municipal Corporation collects go 
to?”. The others were still eating when 
Yasmin Khala began to answer, “This 
question has an interesting answer. As 
you know you can usually find garbage 
Recycling is not a new thing. People like the man in the photo 
above have been recycling paper, metal, glass and plastic for 
a long time. The kabadi wallah plays a major role in recycling 
household plastic and paper, including your note books.
lying all over the street. Earlier even our 
neighbourhood used to have garbage  
lying all over, and if this remains  
uncollected it attracts dogs, rats and 
flies. Also, people get ill from the smell.  
At one point things became so bad that 
children even stopped playing cricket in 
the street because their  parents  were  
afraid  that they’d get sick from staying 
on the streets too long.”
A Community Protest
Yasmin Khala continued, “The women 
were very unhappy about the situation 
and even came to me for advice. I 
said I could try and speak with some 
officer in the department but I wasn’t  
sure how long it would take. Then it 
was Gangabai who said that it is the 
Unit_III Ch 6.indd   53 14-11-2022   04:31:40 PM
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54 / Social and Political Life
Ward Councillor who we should go to 
and protest since we are the ones who 
elected  him. She  gathered a small 
group of women and went to his house. 
They began shouting slogans in front of 
his house and he came out and asked 
them what was wrong.
Gangabai described the situation 
in the locality to him.  He promised to 
go with them the next day to meet the 
Commissioner.   He asked Gangabai to 
get a petition signed by all of the adults 
in the locality saying that garbage was 
not being collected. He suggested that 
taking the local sanitation engineer 
with them the next day might be a good 
idea. The sanitation engineer could 
also speak with the Commissioner and 
tell him how bad the situation was. 
What has changed since Khala 
retired?
What Yasmin Khala did not mention 
to the children was that in recent 
times, in order to save money 
the Commissioners of several 
municipalities across the country 
had hired private contractors to 
collect and process garbage. This is 
called Sub-Contracting. This means 
that the work that was earlier being 
done by government workers is now 
being done by a private company.
These contract workers get paid 
less and their jobs are temporary. 
Collecting garbage is also quite 
a dangerous job and often these 
contract workers do not have any 
access to safety measures and are 
not taken care of if they are injured 
while working.
What was Gangabai protesting 
about?
Why do you think Gangabai decided 
to approach the Ward Councillor?
What did Gangabai say when the 
Commissioner said that there were 
not enough trucks in the city?
That evening children ran from house 
to house making sure that as many 
families as possible signed the petition. 
The next morning a large group 
of women and the Ward Councillor 
and the sanitation engineer went to 
the Municipal Corporation office. The 
Commissioner met with this large group 
and began giving excuses saying that 
the Corporation did not have enough 
trucks.  But Gangabai smartly replied, 
“But you seem to have enough trucks to 
collect garbage from the rich localities”.
“That must have left him lost for 
words,” quipped Jehangir.
“Yes, he said that he would take 
care of it immediately and Gangabai 
threatened  that if it was not done in two 
days a larger group of women would 
protest in front of the Corporation,” said 
Yasmin Khala. “So did the streets get 
cleaned?” asked Rehana who never let 
things remain unfinished.
“Well not within two days and then 
after another larger and more noisy 
protest the sanitation service in this 
locality became more regular.”
“Wow this sounds just like a 
Bollywood film with a happy ending,” 
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