Lifelines of National Economy

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Means of Transport

Transport: Introduction

• The movement of goods and services in our daily life is vital for a country’s development. Transport plays a crucial role in this process. It can be classified into land, water, and air transport. Efficient transport systems are essential for fast development. Communication, trade, and transport are interconnected, and they contribute to a nation’s progress. In India, a well-developed network of railways, airways, waterways, and communication channels has boosted socio-economic growth. These lifelines support local, national, and global trade, enriching the nation’s economy and enhancing our daily lives.

Roads

• Extensive Road Network: India boasts the world’s second-largest road network, spanning around 62.16 lakh km as of 2020-21
• Advantages Over Railways: Roadways hold an advantage over railways due to several reasons:
• Lower Construction Cost: Roads are more cost-effective to build than railway lines.
• Adaptability to Terrain: Roads can traverse diverse and hilly terrains, including mountains like the Himalayas.
• Economical for Short Distances: Road transport is efficient for short distances and small cargo.
• Door-to-Door Service: It offers direct service from the source to the destination, reducing loading and unloading costs.
• Feeder to Other Modes: Roads act as a link connecting railway stations, airports, and seaports.

Golden Quadrilateral Superhighways

• The Golden Quadrilateral Superhighways project is a major road development initiative connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai with six-lane Superhighways.
• It also includes the North-South corridors from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and the East-West Corridor from Silchar to Porbandar.
• The primary aim of these Superhighways is to reduce travel time and distance between India’s major cities.
• These projects are overseen by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

National Highways

• National Highways form the backbone of India’s road network, linking the farthest corners of the country.
• They include major routes running in North-South and East-West directions, facilitating long-distance travel and trade.

State Highways

• State Highways connect a state’s capital city with various district headquarters, promoting intra-state connectivity.
• District Roads:
  • District Roads link district headquarters with other locations within the district, enhancing local transportation.

Other Roads

• Rural roads, categorized as “Other Roads,” connect villages and rural areas to towns, playing a crucial role in rural development.
• These roads received a boost through the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, aiming to provide motorable roads to every village.
• Border Roads
  • The Border Roads Organisation, a government undertaking, is responsible for constructing and maintaining strategic roads in the northern and northeastern border regions.
  • These roads improve accessibility in challenging terrains and contribute to the economic development of border areas.

Railways

• Role of Railways
  • Railways are the primary mode of transportation for both passengers and freight in India.
  • They enable a wide range of activities, including business, sightseeing, pilgrimage, and the transportation of goods over long distances.
• Integrating Force:
  • Indian Railways have played a significant role in integrating the country for over 150 years.
  • They bind the economic life of the nation and foster the development of industry and agriculture.

Influence of Geography

• The distribution pattern of the Indian Railway network is influenced by physiographic, economic, and administrative factors.
• The northern plains, with their flat terrain and high population density, provided favorable conditions for railway growth.
• Challenges in Terrain:
• Railway construction faced obstacles such as the need for bridges across wide river beds and the difficult terrain of hilly regions and the Himalayas.
• Certain regions, like the sandy plains of western Rajasthan and the forests of Madhya Pradesh, presented challenges for laying tracks.

Konkan Railway Development

• The development of the Konkan railway along the west coast has been crucial for economic growth in that region.
• It has encountered challenges, including track sinking and landslides.
• Importance in National Economy:
  • Today, railways are a cornerstone of India’s national economy, surpassing all other means of transport combined.

Challenges and Issues

• Rail transport faces problems like ticketless travel, theft, and damage to railway property.
• Unnecessary chain pulling and train stoppages result in heavy damage to the railway.
• Ways to Improve Punctuality:
  • To help railways run as per schedule, it’s important to address issues like ticketless travel and passenger misconduct.
  • Promoting awareness and adherence to rules can contribute to the efficient functioning of the railway system.

Pipeline Transport

• Emergence of Pipeline Transport:
  • Pipeline transport is a relatively recent addition to India’s transportation infrastructure.
  • Historically, pipelines were used for supplying water to cities and industries.
• Modern Usage:
  • Today, pipelines play a vital role in transporting crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and even solids in slurry form.
  • They connect oil and natural gas fields to refineries, fertilizer factories, and large thermal power plants.

Facilitating Inland Locations

• Pipelines have enabled the establishment of inland refineries and gas-based fertilizer plants, like those in Barauni, Mathura, and Panipat.
• Their use eliminates trans-shipment losses and delays, making transportation more efficient.

Three Major Pipeline Networks

• There are three significant pipeline networks in India:
  • From the oil field in upper Assam to Kanpur, via Guwahati, Barauni, and Allahabad, with branches to Haldia, Rajbandh, Maurigram, and Siliguri.
  • From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab, passing through Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi, and Sonipat, with branches connecting Koyali and other places.
  • The 1,700 km long Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) cross-country gas pipeline, linking Mumbai High and Bassein gas fields to various fertilizer, power, and industrial complexes in western and northern India.
  • India’s gas pipeline infrastructure has seen remarkable growth, expanding from 1,700 km to an extensive 18,500 km of cross-country pipelines.

Waterways

• Historical Seafaring Tradition:
  • India has a rich history of seafaring, with sailors traveling far and wide, contributing to the spread of commerce and culture.
• Cost-Effective and Environmentally Friendly:
  • Waterways are the most cost-effective means of transportation, ideal for moving heavy and bulky goods.
  • They are fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, reducing the carbon footprint of transport.
• Inland Waterways in India:
  • India boasts 14,500 km of inland navigation waterways, of which 5,685 km are navigable by mechanized vessels.
• National Waterways:
  • The government has declared several waterways as National Waterways, including:
  • The Ganga river between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km) – N.W. No.1.
  • The Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km) – N.W. No.2.
  • The West-Coast Canal in Kerala (205 km) – N.W. No.3.
  • Specified stretches of Godavari and Krishna rivers along with Kakinada-Puducherry canals (1078 km) – N.W. No.4.
  • Specified stretches of river Brahmani, Matai river, delta channels of Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers, and East Coast Canal (588 km) – N.W. No.5.

Other Inland Waterways

• Besides the National Waterways, substantial transportation occurs on other inland waterways such as Mandavi, Zuari, Cumberjua, Sunderbans, Barak, and Kerala’s backwaters.
• Sea Ports and International Trade:
• India conducts international trade through ports along its coast, handling 95% of the country’s trade volume (68% in terms of value) via sea.

Sea Ports

• India’s Vast Coastline:
  • India boasts a lengthy coastline spanning 7,516.6 km, featuring 12 major ports and 200 notified non-major ports.
• Role of Major Ports:
  • Major ports handle a significant 95% of India’s foreign trade, making them crucial for the country’s economy

Kandla (Deendayal Port)

• Kandla, also known as Deendayal Port, was one of India’s earliest ports, developed post-independence to compensate for the loss of Karachi port to Pakistan.
• Located in Kachchh, it serves the export and import needs of an extensive industrial and granary region, including parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

Mumbai Port

• Mumbai Port, with its natural and well-sheltered harbor, is the largest port in India.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port was established to ease the congestion at Mumbai Port and act as a hub for the region.

Marmagao (Goa) Port

• Marmagao is India’s premier iron ore exporting port, responsible for approximately 50% of the country’s iron ore exports.
• New Mangalore Port:
  • Located in Karnataka, New Mangalore Port handles the export of iron ore concentrates from Kudremukh mines.
• Kochchi Port:
  • Kochchi, in the southwest, has a natural harbor at the entrance of a lagoon.

Tuticorin Port

• Tuticorin, in Tamil Nadu, boasts a natural harbor and serves as a trade hub handling a wide variety of cargoes, including those bound for neighboring countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
• Chennai Port:
  • Chennai is one of India’s oldest artificial ports and ranks second only to Mumbai in terms of trade volume and cargo handling.
• Visakhapatnam Port:
  • Visakhapatnam is the deepest landlocked and well-protected port, originally envisioned as an outlet for iron ore exports.

Paradip Port

• Paradip Port, located in Odisha, specializes in the export of iron ore.
• Kolkata and Haldia Ports:
  • Kolkata is an inland riverine port serving a vast hinterland in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
  • Haldia Port was developed as a subsidiary port to relieve the growing pressure on Kolkata Port.

Airways

• Fast and Comfortable Travel:
• Air travel is currently the fastest, most comfortable, and prestigious mode of transportation available.
• It offers the advantage of traversing challenging terrains like high mountains, deserts, dense forests, and long oceanic stretches with ease.
• Enhancing Accessibility:
  • Air travel has significantly improved accessibility to remote and difficult-to-reach regions, such as the northeastern part of India.
• This area is characterized by big rivers, dissected relief, dense forests, frequent floods, and international frontiers, and air transport has made access much easier.

Helicopter Services

• Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd. plays a vital role by providing helicopter services, particularly to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for offshore operations.
• These services extend to inaccessible areas and challenging terrains in the northeastern states and the interior regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
• Limited Accessibility for Common People:
  • Air travel is generally considered a mode of transport that is not within the reach of the common people, primarily due to its cost.
• Special provisions, however, have been made in the northeastern states to extend air services to the common population, ensuring better connectivity.

Communication

• Evolution of Communication:
  • Throughout human history, various means of communication have been employed, but the pace of change has accelerated in modern times.
  • Modern communication allows for long-distance interactions without physical movement, facilitating personal and mass communication.

Indian Postal Network

• India’s postal network is the largest in the world, handling parcels and personal written communications.
• Cards and envelopes are considered first-class mail and are transported by air and land. Second-class mail, like book packets, registered newspapers, and periodicals, is carried by surface mail.

Mail Channels

• To expedite mail delivery in large towns and cities, six mail channels have been introduced, including Rajdhani Channel, Metro Channel, Green Channel, Business Channel, Bulk Mail Channel, and Periodical Channel.
• Telecom Network:
  • India boasts one of the largest telecom networks in Asia, with more than two-thirds of villages, excluding urban areas, having Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) telephone facilities.
  • Efforts have been made to extend 24-hour STD facilities to every village, providing uniform rates across India by integrating space and communication technology.

Mass Communication

• Mass communication, including radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books, and films, serves multiple purposes, offering entertainment and creating awareness about national programs and policies.
• All India Radio (Akashwani):
  • All India Radio broadcasts a diverse range of programs in national, regional, and local languages for various segments of the population across the country.
• Doordarshan:
  • Doordarshan, India’s national television channel, is one of the world’s largest terrestrial networks, offering a variety of programs, including entertainment, educational content, and sports.

Newspapers and Periodicals

• India publishes a substantial number of newspapers and periodicals annually, catering to different preferences and periodicity.
• Hindi, followed by English and Urdu, has the highest number of newspapers published in the country.
• Film Production:
  • India is the largest producer of feature films globally, including short films and video features.
  • The Central Board of Film Certification is responsible for certifying both Indian and foreign films.

Trade

• Trade is when goods are exchanged between people, regions, and countries in markets. It can be local within cities and towns or between states. International trade, which happens between countries, is a sign of a country’s economic health.
• Because resources are limited and countries have boundaries, international trade is crucial for survival and growth. Trade has two parts: exports (selling to other countries) and imports (buying from other countries).
• The balance of trade is the difference between what a country exports and imports. When a country exports more than it imports, it’s a good balance. But if it imports more, it’s a bad balance.
• India trades with many countries, exporting gems, chemicals, and agriculture products while importing items like petroleum and machinery. India also shines as a global software leader, earning money from IT exports.

Tourism

• Tourism Growth: Tourism in India has expanded significantly in the last 30 years.
• Employment Opportunities: Over 15 million people are directly employed in the tourism industry, offering jobs and livelihoods.
• Cultural Promotion: Tourism supports local handicrafts, cultural activities, and national integration.
• Cultural Exchange: It helps international visitors understand and appreciate India’s rich culture and heritage.
• Varied Tourism Types: Foreign tourists come for heritage, eco, adventure, cultural, medical, and business tourism.
• National Potential: India has great potential for tourism development throughout the country.
• Diverse Efforts: Efforts are underway to promote various forms of tourism in this growing industry.