28 September: urban wetlands
Monday 28 September 2026
GS Paper 1 · 150 words · 10 marks
"Urban wetlands are ecologically vital and economically inconvenient." Examine critically.
Set a timer for 7 minutes. Write your answer before you read anything below.
Open only after you have written
How to approach this question
What the question asks.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Ecologically vital | The services wetlands provide, with one named case |
| Economically inconvenient | Why a city sees them as a cost |
| Examine critically | Test both halves, then judge the claim |
Why the land gets built on. A wetland controls floods, recharges groundwater and can treat sewage. None of these services has a price. On a municipal map the land looks empty, so it gets built on.
A shape that works in 150 words.
- Position in one line: the inconvenience comes from how land is valued.
- The ecological case, with one named service.
- The economic case: city land is expensive and a wetland cannot be built on.
- Why the second half follows from unpriced services.
- Conclusion: value the services, or protect the land by law.
What to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| A list of what wetlands do | One service, explained, with a place |
| Three cities named and none explained | One case explained |
| Ending on "awareness must be raised" | Name a measure, such as valuation or mapping |
A model answer
Both halves of the claim hold. The inconvenience comes from how cities value land, and that can be changed.
Ecologically vital
Urban wetlands hold flood water and recharge groundwater. The East Kolkata Wetlands, a Ramsar site, treat much of the city's sewage through fish ponds. Without them, Kolkata would need to build and run treatment plants.
Economically inconvenient
City land is expensive. A wetland cannot be built on. A municipality short of housing land sees it as idle ground.
Why the inconvenience arises
None of these services carries a price. Flood control is free, so it does not appear in any budget. Pallikaranai marsh in Chennai and many of Bengaluru's lakes shrank as land was reclaimed for building.
Conclusion
Cities should value wetland services and show wetlands in master plans as infrastructure. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, need enforcement by city authorities.
Word count: 144.
Why this answer works. It takes a position in the first line. It tests each half separately, then explains the link between them. One case is explained. The conclusion gives two measures.
Where it could be stronger. It does not say how much sewage the East Kolkata Wetlands treat. One figure, if you are sure of it, would make that paragraph stronger.