Chapter 7 : Lifelines of National Economy

Introduction

Role of Transport and Communication:

• Goods and services require transportation from supply to demand locations, facilitated by traders.
• Efficient transport and communication are prerequisites for fast national development.
• Development pace depends on production and movement of goods/services over space.
• Transport domains: Land, water, air.
• Advancements in science and technology have expanded trade and transport, turning the world into a "large village."
• Transport, communication, and trade are complementary, contributing to socio-economic progress.
• India’s connectivity (railways, airways, waterways, media, internet) supports local, national, and global trade, enhancing economic vitality and living standards.

Transport

Roadways:

• India has the second largest road network globally (62.16 lakh km, 2020-21).
• Advantages over Railways:
• Lower construction costs.
• Can traverse dissected/undulating topography and higher slopes (e.g., Himalayas).
• Economical for short distances and small loads.
• Door-to-door service reduces loading/unloading costs.
• Feeder to other transport modes (links to railway stations, airports, seaports).
• Road Classifications:
• Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways: Six-lane highways linking Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi, North-South (Srinagar-Kanniyakumari), East-West (Silchar-Porbandar) corridors, implemented by NHAI to reduce time/distance between mega cities.
• National Highways: Primary roads linking extreme parts of the country (e.g., Sher-Shah Suri Marg, Delhi-Amritsar, NH-44).
• State Highways: Connect state capitals with district headquarters.
• District Roads: Link district headquarters with other district places.
• Other Roads: Rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, ensuring all-season motorable roads to villages.
• Border Roads: Constructed/maintained by Border Roads Organisation (est. 1960) in strategic northern/north-eastern border areas (e.g., Atal Tunnel, 9.02 km, connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti).
• Road Types:
• Metalled: Cement, concrete, bitumen; all-weather roads.
• Unmetalled: Unusable in rainy season.

Railways:

• Principal mode for freight and passengers, enabling business, sightseeing, pilgrimage, and long-distance goods transport.
• Integrating force for over 150 years, binding economic life and supporting industry/agriculture.
• Largest public sector undertaking; first train: Mumbai to Thane (1853, 34 km).
• Reorganized into 17 zones.
• Network Distribution Factors:
• Northern Plains: Favorable (level land, high population, rich agriculture), but rivers require bridges.
• Peninsular Hilly Terrains: Tracks through low hills, gaps, tunnels.
• Himalayan Regions: Unfavorable due to high relief, sparse population, limited economic opportunities.
• Challenges: Sandy plains (Rajasthan), swamps (Gujarat), forests (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand), Sahyadri (crossed via passes).
• Konkan Railway: Facilitates movement along west coast, faces sinking tracks and landslides.
• Track Gauges (2019-20, 67,956 km):
• Broad Gauge (1.676 m): 63,950 km.
• Metre Gauge (1.000 m): 2,402 km.
• Narrow Gauge (0.762 m, 0.610 m): 1,604 km.
• Challenges:
• Ticketless travel, thefts, damaging railway property, unnecessary chain-pulling causing delays.

Pipelines:

• New transport mode for crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and slurry (solids).
• Advantages: High initial cost, minimal running costs, no trans-shipment losses/delays.
• Major Networks:
• Upper Assam to Kanpur (via Guwahati, Barauni, Prayagraj), branches to Haldia, Maurigram, Siliguri.
• Salaya (Gujarat) to Jalandhar (Punjab) via Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi, Sonipat, branches to Koyali, Chakshu.
• Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ, 1,700 km): Links Mumbai High/Bassein gas fields to fertilizer, power, industrial complexes; total gas pipeline network expanded to 18,500 km.
• Enables inland refineries (Barauni, Mathura, Panipat) and gas-based fertilizer plants.

Waterways:

• Cheapest transport mode, ideal for heavy/bulky goods, fuel-efficient, eco-friendly.
• Inland Waterways: 14,500 km, 111 National Waterways (NWs) declared by National Waterways Act, 2016.
• Major National Waterways:
• NW-1: Ganga River (Prayagraj-Haldia, 1,620 km).
• NW-2: Brahmaputra River (Sadiya-Dhubri, 891 km).
• NW-3: West-Coast Canal, Kerala (Kottapurma-Kollam, Udyogamandal, Champakkara canals, 205 km).
• NW-4: Godavari, Krishna rivers, Kakinada-Puducherry canals (1,078 km).
• NW-5: Brahmani, Matai rivers, Mahanadi-Brahmani delta, East Coast Canal (588 km).
• Other Waterways: Mandavi, Zuari, Cumberjua, Sunderbans, Barak, Kerala backwaters.
• Sea Trade: 95% of trade volume (68% by value) via sea; 7,516.6 km coastline, 12 major, 200 minor ports.
• Major Sea Ports:
• Deendayal (Kandla, Gujarat): Tidal port, handles exports/imports for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat.
• Mumbai: Largest port, natural harbor; Jawaharlal Nehru Port decongests Mumbai.
• Mormugao (Goa): Premier iron ore export port (50% of India’s iron ore exports).
• New Mangalore (Karnataka): Exports iron ore from Kudremukh mines.
• Cochin (Kerala): South-western port, natural harbor.
• V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu): South-eastern port, natural harbor, handles trade with Sri Lanka, Maldives.
• Chennai: Oldest artificial port, second to Mumbai in trade volume.
• Vishakhapatnam: Deepest landlocked port, exports iron ore.
• Paradwip (Odisha): Specializes in iron ore exports.
• Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (Kolkata): Inland riverine port, serves Ganga-Brahmaputra basin; Haldia Port relieves pressure.

Airways:

• Fastest, most comfortable, prestigious transport mode.
• Ideal for difficult terrains (mountains, deserts, forests, oceanic stretches).
• North-Eastern States: Preferred due to big rivers, dissected relief, dense forests, floods, international frontiers; air travel improves accessibility.
• Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd.: Services for ONGC offshore operations, inaccessible areas (north-eastern states, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand).
• UDAN Scheme: Promotes regional connectivity, affordable flights for common citizens via incentives to airlines for remote routes.

Communication

Overview:

• Rapid advancements in long-distance communication without physical movement.
• Types: Personal (postal, telecom) and mass (TV, radio, press, films).

Postal Network:

• Largest globally, handles parcels and written communications.
• First-Class Mail: Cards, envelopes, airlifted.
• Second-Class Mail: Book packets, newspapers, periodicals, transported by surface mail.
• Mail Channels: Rajdhani, Metro, Green, Business, Bulk Mail, Periodical for quick delivery in large towns/cities.

Telecom:

• One of Asia’s largest networks; over two-thirds of villages have STD facilities.
• 24-hour STD access for all villages, uniform rates nationwide.
• Integration of space and communication technology strengthens information flow.

Mass Communication:

• Provides entertainment, awareness about national programs/policies.
• All India Radio (Akashwani): Broadcasts in national, regional, local languages.
• Doordarshan: Largest terrestrial TV network, offers entertainment, education, sports programs.
• Press: Large number of newspapers/periodicals, mostly in Hindi, followed by English, Urdu.
• Film Industry: Largest producer of feature films globally; Central Board of Film Certification oversees certification.

Digital India:

• Programme for knowledge-based transformation, focusing on IT + IT = India Tomorrow.
• Makes technology central to enabling change.

International Trade

Overview:

• Trade: Exchange of goods among people, states, countries; international trade occurs between countries via sea, air, land.
• Advancement of international trade indicates economic prosperity, acting as an economic barometer.
• No country can survive without trade due to space-bound resources.
• Components: Exports and imports.
• Balance of Trade:
• Favorable: Export value exceeds import value.
• Unfavorable: Import value exceeds export value.

India’s Trade:

• Trade relations with all major trading blocks and regions.
• Exports: Gems, jewellery, chemicals, agriculture/allied products, information technology (software giant, earning foreign exchange).
• Imports: Petroleum, gems, jewellery, chemicals, base metals, electronics, machinery, agriculture/allied products.

Tourism as a Trade

Overview:

• Growth over two decades due to government initiatives, infrastructure, global branding.
• Schemes: Swadesh Darshan 2.0, Vibrant Village Programme, PRASHAD, Paryatan Mitra.
• Benefits: Promotes national integration, supports handicrafts, cultural pursuits, fosters international understanding of India’s culture/heritage.

Types of Tourism:

• Heritage, eco, adventure, cultural, medical, business tourism.

Potential:

• Vast potential across India; efforts to promote various tourism types for industry growth.

Activity: Puzzle Answers

• Sher Shah Suri Marg: Historical road, now NH-44 (Delhi-Amritsar).
• Chennai: Oldest artificial port.
• Kolkata: Inland riverine port.
• Road Gauge: Types of railway tracks (broad, metre, narrow).