Learning Objective
- Transport
- Major Sea Ports
- Communication
- International Trade
- Tourism as a Trade
Transport
Transportation involves land, water, and air domains, giving rise to land, water, and air transport respectively. Each mode has unique characteristics and plays a vital role in facilitating trade and connectivity.
- Roadways
India’s extensive road network spans around 5.47 million kilometers, with a rising preference for road transport over rail due to various factors:
- Lower construction costs compared to railways.
- Accessibility to geographically challenging areas inaccessible to railways.
- Capability to navigate steeper gradients and mountainous terrain like the Himalayas.
- Economic feasibility.
- Provision of door-to-door service.
- Establishment of links between railway stations, airports, and seaports.
In India, roads are categorized into six classes based on their capacity.
Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways
The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network linking India’s four major metropolitan cities: Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. These projects are overseen by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
National Highways
The National Highways form a vital network of trunk roads maintained by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). One significant example is the historical Sher-Shah Suri Marg, designated as National Highway No.1, connecting Delhi and Amritsar.
State Highways
State Highways are roads connecting a state capital with various district headquarters. They are constructed and maintained by the State Public Works Department (PWD).
District Roads
District roads connect district headquarters with other locations within the district. They are maintained by the Zila Parishad.
Other Roads
Rural roads, connecting villages with towns, fall under this category. They received significant support through the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana.
Border Roads
The Border Roads Organisation, founded in 1960, is tasked with building and upkeeping roads in India’s border regions, mainly in the northern and northeastern areas, for strategic reasons.
Roads can be classified by the construction material:
- Metalled roads use materials such as cement, concrete, bitumen, or coal, ensuring durability in all weather.
- Unmetalled roads lack a hard surface and may become impassable during the rainy season.
- Railways
Railways are crucial for transporting heavy loads and bulky goods across long and short distances in India. However, rail transport faces several challenges:
- Constructing bridges over wide river beds is necessary for laying railway lines.
- In hilly terrains, tracks are laid through low hills, gaps, or tunnels.
- The Himalayan region poses challenges due to high elevation, sparse population, and limited economic opportunities.
- Sandy plains present difficulties in laying railway lines.
- Pipelines
Pipeline networks are essential for transporting fluids like water, crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas, as well as solids when converted into a slurry. In India, three key pipeline transportation networks include:
- From oil fields in Upper Assam to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab.
- From Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- Waterways
Waterways are cost-effective for transporting heavy goods and are environmentally friendly due to their fuel efficiency. India’s National Waterways are:
- N.W. No.1: Ganga River between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km).
- N.W. No.2: Brahmaputra River between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km).
- N.W. No.3: West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapurma-Kollam, Udyogamandal, and Champakkara canals-205 km).
- N.W. No.4: Specified stretches of Godavari and Krishna rivers along with Kakinada-Puducherry stretch of canals (1078 km).
- N.W. No.5: Specified stretches of Brahmani River, Matai River, delta channels of Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers, and East Coast Canal (588 km).
Additionally, inland waterways like Mandavi, Zuari and Cumberjua, Sunderbans, Barak, and Kerala backwaters support transportation.
Major Sea Ports
India’s trade with foreign nations is facilitated through its ports, comprising two major and 200 notified non-major ports. The major ports are:
- Kandla (Deendayal Port) in Kachchh, the first developed post-independence.
- Mumbai, boasting a spacious, natural, and well-sheltered harbor.
- Marmagao Port (Goa), a premier iron ore exporting port.
- Mangalore Port in Karnataka, serving iron ore exports.
- Kochchi, situated at the southwestern entrance of a lagoon.
- Tuticorin Port in the extreme southeast.
- Chennai, one of India’s oldest artificial ports.
- Visakhapatnam, the deepest landlocked and well-protected port.
- Paradwip Port in Odisha, specializing in iron ore exports.
- Kolkata, an inland riverine port.
- Haldia Port, developed as a subsidiary to ease pressure on Kolkata port.
- Airways
- Air transport is renowned for its speed, comfort, and prestige, providing access to otherwise inaccessible terrain like high mountains, deserts, forests, and oceans.
- Nationalized in 1953, Air India offers both domestic and international services. Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd. supports Oil and Natural Gas Corporation with off-shore operations in challenging areas. However, air travel remains beyond the means of the common people.
Communication
- In India, major means of communication include television, radio, press, and films. The Indian postal network, the world’s largest, handles parcels and written communications.
- First-class mail is airlifted, while second-class mail, like book packets and registered newspapers, travels by surface mail. India’s extensive telecom network integrates space and communication technologies, enabling Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) nationwide.
- Mass communication, through radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books, and films, entertains and informs about national programmes and policies.
- India Radio Channel (Akashwani) broadcasts diverse programmes, while Door Darshan, the national television channel, boasts one of the largest terrestrial networks globally. India publishes numerous newspapers in around 100 languages and dialects.
International Trade
- Trade involves the exchange of goods among people, states, and countries, with international trade serving as an economic barometer. It comprises exports and imports, and a country’s balance of trade is the difference between them.
– A favorable balance of trade occurs when exports exceed imports.
– An unfavorable balance of trade happens when imports surpass exports.
- India’s exports include gems and jewelry, chemicals, agriculture, and allied products. Imports consist of petroleum crude, gems and jewelry, chemicals, base metals, electronics, machinery, agriculture, and allied products.
Tourism as a Trade
Tourism in India engages over 15 million people directly and is a crucial economic contributor. It serves various purposes:
– Promotes national integration
– Supports local handicrafts and cultural activities
– Enhances international understanding of Indian culture and heritage
Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism, and business tourism.
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