Chapter Notes

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

Introduction to Transport and Communication

Think about your daily life—from the food you eat to the clothes you wear, almost everything you use comes from somewhere else. The process of moving these goods from where they are produced (like farms and factories) to where they can be bought (the market) is called transportation.

Similarly, we don't just move physical items; we also share ideas, views, and messages. The act of exchanging this information is called communication. Both transport and communication are essential for connecting people and places, allowing us to move goods, services, and ideas from where they are available to where they are needed.

The major means of transportation can be broadly divided into Land, Water, and Air.

Land Transport

In India, people have used pathways and simple unmetalled roads since ancient times. As technology and the economy grew, better metalled roads and railways were developed to move large amounts of goods and many people efficiently. For special situations, other methods like ropeways, cableways, and pipelines were also created.

Road Transport

India has one of the largest road networks in the world, with a total length of about 62.16 lakh km as of 2020-21. Roads are incredibly important, carrying about 85% of passenger traffic and 70% of freight traffic every year. They are especially suitable for travel over shorter distances.

The history of modern road development in India includes a few key moments:

• Sher Shah Suri built the Shahi (Royal) road, which stretched from the Indus Valley to the Sonar Valley in Bengal. During the British period, this was renamed the Grand Trunk (GT) road, connecting Calcutta and Peshawar. Today, it extends from Amritsar to Kolkata.
• The first major effort to plan modern roads was the 'Nagpur Plan' in 1943. However, it couldn't be fully implemented because of a lack of coordination.
• After Independence, a twenty-year road plan (1961) was introduced to improve road conditions, but for a long time, good roads were mostly found in and around cities, leaving rural areas with poor connectivity.

For construction and maintenance, roads in India are classified into four main categories.

National Highways (NH)

These are the main roads constructed and maintained by the Central Government.

• Purpose: They are designed for inter-state transport and are crucial for moving defence personnel and materials to strategic areas. They connect state capitals, major cities, ports, and railway junctions.
• Importance: Although National Highways make up only about 2% of the total road length in India, they carry about 40% of all road traffic.
• Management: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), established in 1995, is the main agency responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of National Highways.

National Highways Development Projects

The NHAI has undertaken several major projects to upgrade India's road network.

• Golden Quadrilateral: This is a high-density traffic corridor of 4/6 lanes, stretching 5,846 km, that connects India's four largest metro cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. Its goal is to significantly reduce the travel time, distance, and cost between these major urban centres.
• North-South and East-West Corridors:
  • The North-South corridor is a 4,076 km road connecting Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) in the north with Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu) in the south.
  • The East-West Corridor is a 3,640 km road connecting Silchar (Assam) in the east with the port town of Porbandar (Gujarat) in the west.

State Highways (SH)

These roads are built and maintained by state governments. They connect state capitals with district headquarters and other important towns within the state, and also link up with the National Highways.

District Roads

These roads serve as the connecting link between District Headquarters and other important places within the district.

Rural Roads

Rural roads are essential for connecting villages and rural areas.

• They make up about 80% of the total road length in India.
• The density and quality of these roads can vary greatly depending on the terrain. For example, hilly, forested, or plateau regions have a much lower density of rural roads.

Other Roads

This category includes Border Roads and International Highways.

• Border Roads Organisation (BRO): Established in May 1960, the BRO builds and maintains roads in the northern and north-eastern border areas. These roads are strategically important for defence and for accelerating economic development in remote regions.
  • The BRO has built roads in high-altitude areas, such as the one connecting Chandigarh with Manali and Leh, which runs at an average altitude of 4,270 metres.

• International Highways: These roads are built to promote good relationships with neighbouring countries by providing effective road links.

Bharatmala Pariyojana

This is a major government program aimed at improving the country's road infrastructure.

• It focuses on developing about 26,000 km of Economic Corridors to carry the majority of freight traffic.
• It also includes building ring roads, bypasses, and elevated corridors to reduce traffic congestion in cities and improve logistics.

Rail Transport

The Indian Railways network is one of the longest in the world and plays a vital role in the country's economy by moving both passengers and freight. Mahatma Gandhi noted that the railways helped bring people from diverse cultures together, contributing to India's freedom struggle.

• History: The first railway line in India was constructed in 1853, running for 34 km from Bombay to Thane.
• Scale: Today, Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country, with a network length of 67,956 km (2019-20). To manage this vast system, it has been divided into 17 zones.

Railway Track Gauges

The width of the track in Indian Railways is categorized into three types:

• Broad gauge: The distance between the rails is 1.676 metres. This is the most common gauge in India.
• Metre gauge: The distance between rails is one metre.
• Narrow gauge: The distance is either 0.762 metres or 0.610 metres. This type is mostly found in hilly areas.

Modern Developments

• Metro Rail: The metro system has transformed urban transport in major cities, offering a fast and efficient way to travel and helping to control air pollution.
• Konkan Railway: Constructed in 1998, this is one of the most remarkable achievements of Indian Railways. It is a 760 km long route connecting Roha in Maharashtra to Mangalore in Karnataka. It is considered an engineering marvel because it crosses 146 rivers, nearly 2,000 bridges, and 91 tunnels.

Water Transport

Waterways are an important mode of transport for both passengers and cargo.

• Advantages: It is the cheapest means of transport, especially for heavy and bulky materials. It is also fuel-efficient and eco-friendly.
• Types: Water transport is divided into inland waterways (on rivers and canals) and oceanic waterways (on seas and oceans).

Inland Waterways

Before railways, rivers were the main mode of transport in India. However, competition from roads and railways, and the diversion of river water for irrigation, made many rivers non-navigable.

• India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways, which contribute about 1% to the country's transportation.
• The Inland Waterways Authority was set up in 1986 to develop, maintain, and regulate national waterways.

India has declared several National Waterways (NWs), including:

• NW 1: On the Ganga river, a 1,620 km stretch between Prayagraj and Haldia.
• NW 2: On the Brahmaputra river, an 891 km stretch between Sadiya and Dhubri.
• NW 3: A 205 km stretch on the West-Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam.
• NW 4: Stretches of the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
• NW 5: Stretches of the Brahmani river, Matai river, and East Coast canals.

Oceanic Routes

With a vast coastline of about 7,517 km, India's oceanic routes are vital for its economy.

• Infrastructure: There are 12 major and 200 minor ports that support these routes.
• Foreign Trade: About 95% of India's foreign trade by volume and 70% by value moves through ocean routes.
• Domestic Use: These routes are also used for transportation between the mainland and the islands.

Air Transportation

Air transport is the fastest way to travel and has made the world feel smaller by reducing travel time. It is especially important for a large country like India with diverse terrain and climate.

• History: Air transport in India began in 1911 with a short airmail flight between Allahabad and Naini.
• Management: The Airport Authority of India is responsible for providing safe and efficient air traffic services.
• Pawan Hans: This is a helicopter service that operates in hilly areas, especially in the north-eastern sector, and provides services for tourism and the petroleum sector.

Oil and Gas Pipelines

Pipelines are a very convenient and efficient way to transport liquids and gases over long distances. Even solids can be transported after being converted into a slurry.

• Oil India Limited (OIL): Incorporated in 1959, OIL explores, produces, and transports crude oil and natural gas. It constructed Asia's first cross-country pipeline, stretching 1,157 km from the Naharkatiya oilfield in Assam to the Barauni refinery in Bihar.
• GAIL (India) Ltd.: Set up in 1984, GAIL transports and markets natural gas. It constructed the 1,700 km long Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline, which connected gas fields in western India with industrial complexes in western and northern India.

Communication Networks

Over time, humans have developed many ways to communicate. Early methods included beating drums, using smoke signals, or sending fast runners. Today, technologies like the post office, telephone, and satellites have made communication instant and easy.

Communication can be divided into personal and mass communication.

Personal Communication System

The internet is the most effective and advanced form of personal communication today.

• It allows users to establish direct contact through e-mail and access a world of information.
• It is widely used for e-commerce, money transactions, and direct communication at a low cost.

Mass Communication System

This involves sending messages to a large audience at the same time.

Radio

• Radio broadcasting in India started in 1923 with the Radio Club of Bombay.
• The government brought it under its control in 1930. It was renamed All India Radio in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957.
• It broadcasts a wide variety of programs on information, education, and entertainment.

Television (T.V.)

• Television is a powerful audio-visual medium for informing and educating people.
• It began in India in 1959, limited to the National Capital.
• In 1976, TV was separated from All India Radio and given its own identity as Doordarshan (DD).

Satellite Communication

Satellites are modes of communication themselves and also help regulate other forms of communication. They are vital for economic and strategic reasons because they can provide a continuous view of large areas.

• Uses: Satellite images are used for weather forecasting, monitoring natural disasters, and surveillance of border areas.
• Satellite Systems in India:
  • Indian National Satellite System (INSAT): Established in 1983, this is a multi-purpose system used for telecommunication, meteorological observation, and other programs.
  • Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System (IRS): This system became operational in 1988 with the launch of IRS-IA. India has also developed its own launching vehicle, the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). The data collected by these satellites is processed at the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad and is very useful for managing natural resources.