Peri-urban Governance and Water & Sanitation Challenges
Environment & Ecology
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
This concept is crucial for understanding the challenges of rapid urbanization in India, the implementation gaps of constitutional provisions (74th Amendment), and the need for integrated governance and sustainable resource management to ensure equitable development and public health.
Peri-urban areas, the transitional zones between rural and urban landscapes, are experiencing rapid demographic and economic growth. However, they often suffer from an institutional limbo, lacking clear governance structures for effective service delivery, particularly in critical sectors like water supply and sanitation.
Facts & tables
- Rapid Growth
- Census towns increased by 178% (1,362 to 3,784) in two decades, indicating significant peri-urban expansion.
- Institutional Limbo
- These areas are neither recognized as villages nor cities, leading to a governance vacuum and inadequate service provision.
- Service Delivery Gap
- Residents often face urban prices for services without receiving urban-level quality or reliability, as seen in examples like Rawta village and Gurugram.
- Environmental & Resource Conflicts
- Peri-urban areas bear the brunt of urban expansion, including groundwater contamination from waste dumps and diversion of water resources from rural irrigation to urban demand.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Urbanization and its challenges |
| Conceptual area | Local Self-Government |
| Conceptual area | Water Resource Management |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| State Governments | Responsible for constituting nagar panchayats and policy-making for peri-urban areas |
| Nagar Panchayats | Envisioned by 74th amendment for transitional areas, crucial for local governance and service delivery |
| Municipal Corporations | Struggle with administrative inefficiencies when peri-urban areas are merged without adequate capacity |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding
- Peri-urban zones: rapid growth, institutional vacuum.
- Challenges: unreliable water, poor sanitation, pollution.
- 74th Amendment: mandates Nagar Panchayats for transitional areas.
- Resource conflicts: urban demand vs. rural needs.
- Need for integrated governance and planning.
Check if created by Constitution or by Parliament.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2024 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2024 | Statement-based questions, Cause and effect relationships |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2023 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2019 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2015 | Cause and effect relationships, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
-
Urbanization and its challenges
Conceptual area
-
Local Self-Government
Conceptual area
-
Water Resource Management
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2015
Cause and effect relationships, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2019
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2023
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2024
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2024
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2024
Statement-based questions, Cause and effect relationships
-
Water governance in peri-urban areas
Peri-urban areas in India face a severe water and sanitation crisis due to rapid, unplanned growth and an institutional vacuum, leading to unreliable services, environmental degradation, and resource conflicts, necessitating urgent governance reforms.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2015–2024 · 4 questions
In the news
Water governance in peri-urban areas
Peri-urban areas in India face a severe water and sanitation crisis due to rapid, unplanned growth and an institutional vacuum, leading to unreliable services, environmental degradation, and resource conflicts, necessitating urgent governance reforms.
Try these PYQs
With reference to the role of biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System, consider the following statements:
1. Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed.
2. Biofilters convert ammonia present in fish waste to nitrate.
3. Biofilters increase phosphorus as nutrient for fish in water.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
* Statement 1 is correct: Role of Biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed. Biofilters in a RAS help in waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed and other organic matter from the water. The biofilter media provide a surface for beneficial bacteria to grow, which help in breaking down and removing these wastes. * Statement 2 is correct: Biofilters convert ammonia present in fish waste to nitrate. One of the primary functions of biofilters in a RAS is to convert toxic ammonia (produced from fish waste) into less harmful nitrate. Beneficial bacteria in the biofilter media perform nitrification, a process where ammonia is first converted to nitrite and then further converted to nitrate. * Statement 3 is incorrect: Biofilters do not increase phosphorus as a nutrient for fish in the water. Their primary role is to remove wastes and convert ammonia to nitrate. Phosphorus levels in the water are managed through other means, such as fish feed formulation and water quality management. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.
With reference to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer products, consider the following statements :
1. PFAS are found to be widespread in drinking water, food and food packaging materials.
2. PFAS are not easily degraded in the environment.
3. Persistent exposure to PFAS can lead to bioaccumulation in animal bodies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
* Statement 1 is Correct. PFAS are used in a wide range of consumer products, and due to their persistence, they can leach into the environment and contaminate water sources, food, and packaging materials. * Statement 2 is Correct. PFAS are known as 'forever chemicals' because the strong carbon-fluorine bond makes them highly resistant to natural degradation processes. This persistence leads to their accumulation in the environment. * Statement 3 is Correct. Because PFAS don't break down easily, they can build up in the tissues of animals and humans over time, leading to potential health concerns. _Therefore, all three statements are correct._
What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture?
1. The proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the soil can occur.
2. Increase in the acidity of soil can take place
3. Leaching of nitrate to the ground-water can occur.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers actually reduces the need for nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the soil. Plants can readily utilize the added nitrogen, so these microbes wouldn't need to fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plants' benefit. Statement 2 is correct: Nitrogenous fertilizers can release acidic compounds as they break down in the soil, leading to increased soil acidity. Statement 3 is correct: When applied in excess, nitrogen fertilizers (especially nitrates) can be easily washed away by rain or irrigation water. This can contaminate groundwater sources.
Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)’?
1. The river basin is the unit of planning and management.
2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level.
3. One of the Chief Ministers of the State through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on a rotation basis.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) is the financing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and coordinating authority for the Ganges River, functioning under the Jal Shakti Ministry. Statement 2 is correct. The mission of the organisation is to safeguard the drainage basin which feeds water into the Ganges by protecting it from pollution or overuse. In July 2014, the NGRBA has been transferred from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Statement 3 is incorrect. The Prime Minister is the chair of the Authority.
Other members include the cabinet ministers of ministries that include the Ganges among their direct concerns and the chief ministers of states through which the Ganges River flows.
Consider the following materials:
1. Agricultural residues
2. Corn grain
3. Wastewater treatment sludge
4. Wood mill waste
Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel ?
* Agricultural residues: These include materials like crop stalks, husks, and leaves. They are a viable source of biomass that can be converted into biofuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). * Corn grain: Corn grain is a source of sugars that can be fermented to produce ethanol, a biofuel. While ethanol is primarily used in gasoline blends, it can also be further processed into SAF. * Wastewater treatment sludge: This sludge is rich in organic matter. Through processes like anaerobic digestion, it can produce biogas, which can be further converted into SAF. * Wood mill waste: This includes sawdust, wood chips, and bark. These lignocellulosic materials can be converted into biofuels through various thermochemical or biochemical processes, ultimately leading to SAF production. Therefore, all four materials can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Show 3 more PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution.
Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Statement-I: Correct. Chewing gums are a source of environmental pollution due to several factors: * Non-biodegradable gum base: Traditional chewing gums often contain polymers like polyisobutylene, polyvinyl acetate, or polyethylene, which do not decompose easily in the environment. * Littering: Discarded chewing gum remains on sidewalks, streets, and other public spaces, creating an eyesore and requiring significant resources for removal. Statement-II: Correct and explains Statement-I * The plastic-like polymers used as gum bases in many chewing gums are the primary reason they are difficult to biodegrade. These polymers contribute significantly to the environmental persistence of chewing gum litter. Therefore, the correct option is (A): Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I.
Consider the following statements regarding Mercury pollution :
1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.
2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.
3. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.
How many of the above statements are correct?
* Statement 1 is correct: Gold mining is poisoning Amazon forests with mercury. To separate the gold, miners mix liquid mercury into the sediment, which forms a coating around the gold. * Statement 2 is correct: Fly ash generated by TPPs is one of the ways mercury is released into the environment. Fly ash is usually disposed of in ash ponds in the form of ash slurry, forming an aquatic ecosystem of its own. Coal-based TPPs are the major source of mercury – the ninth most toxic element found on earth — emissions into the environment. Mercury contributed over 80 percent of emissions released by the TPPs, according to 2016 estimates by the Delhi-based think-tank Centre for Science and Environment. * Statement 3 is incorrect: While mercury is unquestionably toxic, toxicology works on the principle of dose: “The dose makes the poison.” Hence, scientific bodies define reference doses (RfD) or tolerable intake levels, not zero exposure. WHO's Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for methylmercury (from fish) → 1.6 µg/kg body weight/week and 1 µg/litre for total mercury in drinking water. If no safe level truly existed: Mercury would be completely banned, not regulated. NOTE: UPSC usually considers extreme statement to be wrong.
As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct?
* Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandate the segregation of waste into three categories - biodegradables, dry recyclables (plastic, paper, metal, etc.), and domestic hazardous waste (diapers, napkins, etc.). * The SWM Rules, 2016 apply not just to urban areas but also to urban local bodies, notified areas, census towns, all industrial townships, special economic zones, State and Central government organisations, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical importance. * There is no restriction on moving waste from one district to another. Waste generators can transport waste as needed for disposal, treatment, or processing. * Waste processing facilities will have to be set up by all local bodies having a population of 1 million or more within two years. * For census towns with a population below 1 million or all local bodies having a population of 0.5 million or more, common, or stand-alone sanitary landfills will have to be set up in three years. * Also, common, or regional sanitary landfills to be set up by all local bodies and census towns with a population under 0.5 million will have to be completed in three years.