Topic 1 : Parliaments past, a mirror to changing dynamics
Introduction
In an atypical departure from its usual five-day working schedule, the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024) concluded its proceedings on a Saturday, marking the culmination of a journey with unexpected twists and turns. This prompts us, as citizens of India, to reflect on the performance of our Parliament in recent years as we wait to usher in the 18th Lok Sabha.
How Ministries fared
- In the bustling corridors of Parliament, where policy debates and national concerns intersect, a notable shift in parliamentary focus has been quietly underway.
- Over the past three Lok Sabhas, a discernible trend has emerged, shedding light on the evolving interests and priorities of our elected representatives.
- At the forefront of this transformation are the Ministries of Health and Family and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- These portfolios have ascended to prominence, becoming the top two Ministries with the highest number of questions.
- Notably, scrutiny of the country’s health-care system preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting consistent monitoring by our representatives.
- But despite being the Ministries with the most number of questions, where farmers to former Ministers seek answers, the number of questions in the House of the People was noticed to be declining marginally.
- Yet, the most startling revelation is in a declining interest in matters of national security and internal affairs.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs, which was the Ministry with the second most number of questions directed towards it till the 15th Lok Sabha, has now faded into near obscurity.
- It is conspicuously absent from the list of the top five most questioned Ministries in the Upper House, with a decline in notices by 32%.
- This shift raises questions about the nation’s priorities, particularly as the implementation of pivotal legislation looms on the horizon.
- Meanwhile the Ministry of Finance. Tasked with steering the nation’s fiscal destiny, the Ministry has witnessed a gradual erosion of parliamentary interest, declining to the fourth and fifth position in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, respectively.
- Education remains entrenched among the top five Ministries that are subject to rigorous questioning, reflecting its enduring significance in parliamentary discourse.
The use of interventions
- As the landscape of Indian parliamentary proceedings undergoes a metamorphosis, it is not only ministerial priorities that are in flux but also the utilisation of various interventions available to lawmakers.
- Amidst these interventions, there is one aspect that stands out in terms of soaring usage: Zero Hour.
- Over 15 years, the Rajya Sabha has witnessed a remarkable 62% in this, while the Lok Sabha has seen a significant rise of 34%.
- This surge reflects a positive signal, indicating heightened focus in addressing pressing issues and grievances, and also seeking clarifications from the government.
- This coincides with a dwindling usage of interventions such as ‘Half-an-Hour Discussions’, ‘Short Notice Questions’, ‘Calling Attention’, ‘Short Duration Discussions’, and ‘Special Mentions’.
Way forward
Changing parliamentary dynamics only point to the need to revitalise legislative engagement, where every opportunity should be seized to ensure accountability, foster constructive debate, and enact policies that prioritise the welfare of the nation and its citizens.
Topic 2 : Is the urban water system breaking?
Context
Bengaluru is experiencing its worst water crisis in decades. The weak monsoon last year has compounded an already difficult situation. Along with Bengaluru, several other Indian cities are under similar stress.
Reasons behind Bengaluru water crisis
- Unplanned urbanization – There has been haphazard and unplanned urbanization in Bengaluru. There are problems of contamination of groundwater resources by the discharge of industrial chemicals, sewers and improper mining activities
- Inadequate monsoon – Bengaluru faced sub-par monsoon in 2023 and received little rain since November. Half the city depends on groundwater, but many borewells have run dry.
- Nature of aquifer-South India has a very different kind of aquifer system. It is very rocky, hence aquifers are not able to hold a lot of water.
- Falling reservoir levels – Latest data from the Central Water Commission shows that Karnataka reservoirs are currently holding water at only 26% of their full capacity. This is at least 10% points lower than what is expected at this time of the year
- Concretization and reduced green cover – High pace of concretization has reduced porous surface area and restricted rainwater from entering the lower layers of the grounds, because of which the groundwater table cannot be recharged.
- Over-exploitation of ground water– With limited supply of fresh water piped from Cauvery, the city’s groundwater table has been over-exploited.
- Lack of effective water governance– There is unregulated extraction, pumping and usage of water without any special protocol or judicious distribution. As a result, it reached a tipping point, when borewells ran out of water.
- Lack of sensitivity in citizens– Since water is a free resource, it is not valued by the citizens. Citizens are completely detached from the water issues.
Problems in water infrastructure
- Faulty piped water supply approach-As per the standards of the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization, Indian cities have a daily per capita water requirement of 135 liters. Under the current piped water supply approach, all this water is treated to meet drinking water quality standards.
- Capital intensive– The distribution network of water supply is quite costly. Further, there are regular expenses on repair and maintenance.
Addressing the issue
- Reforming piped water supply approach – There is a need to segregate water for drinking purposes and other domestic uses. This will ensure that only a small amount of wastewater is treated for drinking water quality standards.
- Packaged drinking water (PDW) model-It relies on decentralized treatment of water and non-pipe mode of delivery. However, a large section of urban population cannot buy water sold by private players. Further, as per WHO, the reverse osmosis method used by industry to purify water deprives water of essential minerals. Thus, these problems should be addressed before its widespread implementation.
- Water ATMs-It is a water dispensation system which can be automatic with a coin or smart card, or manually. The recent water crisis in Bengaluru has pushed the city’s authorities to experiment with water ATMs.
Conclusion
There is a need for an alternative model of water supply to address the water quality issues. Steps such as Decentralized treatment and non-pipe mode of service delivery should be promoted by the government.
