Chapter 7: Lifelines of National Economy
Why Transport and Communication are Lifelines
The movement of goods and services from supply locations to demand locations necessitates transport. Traders and transporters link production centres with consumption centres. Today, India is well linked with the rest of the world despite its vast size and diversities; railways, airways, waterways, newspapers, radio, television, cinema and the internet have contributed to its socio-economic progress, enriching life and adding substantially to growing amenities. Dense and efficient networks of transport and communication are therefore called the lifelines of the nation and its economy — trade, transport and communication together sustain a fast-moving world.
Comparison of Major Modes of Transport
| Mode | Merits | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Roadways | Lower construction cost; can negotiate dissected and steep terrain and higher gradients; door-to-door service; economical for few persons and short distances; feeder to other modes (links railway stations, ports, airports) | Congested; roadway network inadequate in proportion to traffic volume; about half the roads unsurfaced |
| Railways | Principal mode for freight and passengers over long distances; carries bulky goods cheaply; binds the economic life of the country; conducts multifarious activities — business, sightseeing, pilgrimage, transport of goods | Heavy construction cost; problems of ticketless travel, thefts, damage to property, chain-pulling and unnecessary stops |
| Pipelines | Ideal for liquids and gases (crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, slurry); rules out trans-shipment losses and delays; low running cost | High initial cost of laying the network; capacity cannot be increased once laid; risk of leakage |
| Waterways | Cheapest means of transport; most suitable for heavy and bulky goods; fuel-efficient and environment-friendly | Slow; limited to navigable rivers, canals and coasts; seasonal in some stretches |
| Airways | Fastest, most comfortable and prestigious; can cover very difficult terrains — high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests, long oceanic stretches; vital in the north-eastern states | Costliest; not within the reach of the common people (though air travel has been made accessible in the north-east through subsidies) |
Roadways
India has one of the largest road networks in the world. Roads precedence over railways because of lower construction cost, ability to serve dissected terrain, door-to-door service and role as feeder to other transport modes. Roads are classified into six classes:
- Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways: 6-lane super highways linking Delhi–Kolkata–Chennai–Mumbai; with the North–South corridor (Srinagar to Kanniyakumari) and East–West corridor (Silchar to Porbandar), they reduce time and distance between mega cities. Implemented by the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India).
- National Highways: link extreme parts of the country; primary road systems laid and maintained by the CPWD (Central Public Works Department). Historic NH-1 (Delhi–Amritsar, along the Sher-Shah Suri Marg / GT Road).
- State Highways: link the state capital with district headquarters; maintained by the State PWD.
- District Roads: connect district headquarters with other places of the district; maintained by the Zila Parishad.
- Other/Rural Roads: link rural areas and villages with towns; received special impetus under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana (every eligible village linked by an all-season motorable road).
- Border Roads: the Border Roads Organisation (BRO, 1960) constructs and maintains strategically important roads along the northern and north-eastern borders; they improve accessibility in difficult terrain and help economic development of border areas.
Roads can also be classified by material as metalled (cement, concrete, bitumen — all-weather) and unmetalled (go out of use in the rainy season). Road density (length of road per 100 sq km of area) varies from about 12.14 km in Jammu & Kashmir to over 547 km in Kerala (national average about 142.68 km, 2017-18).
Railways
Railways are the principal mode of transport in India, and the Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking in the country (first train: Mumbai to Thane, 1853, 34 km). The railway network is unevenly distributed: dense in the northern plains (level land, high population density, rich agriculture), difficult in hilly terrains of the peninsular region (tunnels through low hills and gaps), and sparse in the Himalayan regions, sandy deserts, swamps of Gujarat, forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand, and the flood-prone plains of Bihar and Assam (the contai/braided rivers require large bridges). The Konkan Railway along the west coast was a landmark achievement, though it faces problems of sinking track and landslides.
Pipelines
Pipelines, a new arrival on the transport map, carry crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas from fields to refineries, fertiliser factories and thermal power plants; solids can also be transported as slurry. Three important networks:
- From the upper Assam oilfields to Kanpur (UP) via Guwahati, Barauni and Allahabad — with branches from Barauni to Haldia via Rajbandh, Rajbandh to Maurigram and Guwahati to Siliguri.
- From Salaya (Gujarat) to Jalandhar (Punjab) via Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi and Sonipat — with branches to connect Koyali (near Vadodara), Chakshu and other places.
- The Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur (HVJ) gas pipeline from Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh via Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh — with branches.
Waterways
India has inland navigation waterways of about 14,500 km, of which only a portion is navigable by mechanised vessels. National Waterways declared by the Government:
| Waterway | Stretch |
|---|---|
| NW-1 | The Ganga river between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km) |
| NW-2 | The Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km) |
| NW-3 | The West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapuram–Komman), with Udyogamandal and Champakara canals (205 km) |
| Others | Specified stretches of the Godavari, Krishna, Barak, Sunderbans, Buckingham Canal, Brahmani, East-West Canal and Damodar Valley Corporation Canal (111 waterways in all) |
India also has extensive coastal shipping along its long coastline; 95% of India's trade volume (68% by value) moves by sea.
Major Sea Ports
| West Coast (north to south) | East Coast (north to south) |
|---|---|
| Kandla (Deendayal) — tidal port; developed after Partition to compensate the loss of Karachi; serves the granary/industrial belt of J&K, HP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat | Kolkata — inland riverine port on the Hugli; tidal port requiring constant dredging; serves the very large and rich hinterland of the Ganga–Brahmaputra basin |
| Mumbai — biggest port; spacious natural and well-sheltered harbour; Jawaharlal Nehru port developed nearby to decongest it and serve as a hub port for the region | Haldia — subsidiary port developed to relieve pressure on Kolkata |
| Marmagao (Goa) — premier iron-ore exporting port (about half of India's iron-ore export) | Paradip (Odisha) — specialises in the export of iron ore |
| New Mangalore (Karnataka) — exports iron-ore concentrates from Kudremukh mines | Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) — deepest, land-locked and well-protected port; originally an outlet for iron-ore export |
| Kochchi (Kerala) — at the entrance of a lagoon; natural harbour | Chennai — one of the oldest artificial ports; ranks next to Mumbai in trade and cargo |
| Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) — natural harbour and rich hinterland; trade with Sri Lanka, Maldives and the east coast |
Airways
Air travel is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode. It can cover very difficult terrains like high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and long oceanic stretches with great ease. Air transport was nationalised in 1953. Air India provides international air services; Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd serves ONGC in its off-shore operations and inaccessible/difficult terrains like the north-eastern states and the interior parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Air travel is not within the reach of the common people, but special provisions extend its services to the north-eastern states.
Communication
- Personal communication: India has one of the largest telecom networks in Asia; STD facilities reach even rural areas; the internet is the most effective and advanced personal communication medium.
- Postal network: largest in the world; handles first-class mail (cards, envelopes — airlifted) and second-class mail (book packets, journals — surface mail). Six mail channels for quick delivery in large towns: Rajdhani Channel, Metro Channel, Green Channel, Business Channel, Bulk Mail Channel and Periodical Channel.
- Mass communication: All India Radio (Akashwani) broadcasts in national, regional and local languages; Doordarshan is one of the largest terrestrial networks in the world; India publishes newspapers in about 100 languages and dialects (largest numbers in Hindi, followed by English and Urdu); India is the largest producer of feature films in the world — the Central Board of Film Certification certifies Indian and foreign films.
International Trade
Exchange of goods among people, states and countries is trade; trade between two countries is international trade (through sea, air or land routes). Advancement of international trade is considered the economic barometer of a country — no country can survive without international trade because resources are space-bound. The difference between export and import is the balance of trade: favourable when exports exceed imports, unfavourable when imports exceed exports. India's major exports include gems and jewellery, chemicals and related products, agriculture and allied products, petroleum products; major imports include crude petroleum (energy needs), gold, metalliferous ores and metal scrap, fertilisers. India has emerged as a software giant and earns large foreign exchange through the export of information technology.
Tourism as a Trade
Tourism promotes national integration, supports local handicrafts and cultural pursuits, aids the development of international understanding of our culture and heritage, and provides employment to lakhs of people directly engaged in the industry. Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism, eco tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism and business tourism; foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings have been growing (though the sector was affected during the pandemic period).
Map Work (CBSE Prescribed)
- Major sea ports: Kandla (Gujarat), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Marmagao (Goa), New Mangalore (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradip (Odisha), Haldia (West Bengal)
- International airports: Amritsar (Raja Sansi), Delhi (Indira Gandhi International), Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji), Chennai (Meenam Bakkam), Kolkata (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose), Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi)