Chapter – 7

Transport and Communication

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 12 Geography Book 2 Chapter 7 (Transport and Communication) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 12 board exams.

Chapter 7: Transport and Communication

Introduction

• We use many things daily, from toothpaste to food, which are brought from their production sites to the markets where we buy them.  
• This movement of goods and people is called transportation.  
• We also transport ideas and messages through communication.  
• The use of transport and communication depends on our need to move things and information from where they are available to where they are needed.  

Means of Transport

• Land Transport:

  • Road Transport:
    • India has one of the world’s largest road networks, with about 62.16 lakh km of roads.  
    • Roads are classified by how they’re built and maintained:
      • National Highways (NH): Main roads maintained by the Central Government for interstate travel and defense purposes. They connect state capitals, big cities, ports, and railway junctions.  
      • State Highways (SH): Constructed and maintained by state governments, connecting state capitals with district headquarters.  
      • District Roads: Connect district headquarters to other places within the district.  
      • Rural Roads: Connect villages and rural areas, making up 80% of India’s roads.  
      • Other Roads: Includes Border Roads and International Highways.  
    • National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): Set up in 1995 to develop, maintain, and operate National Highways.  
    • National Highways Development Projects:
      • Golden Quadrilateral: 5,846 km long, connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.  
      • North-South Corridor: 4,076 km, connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari.  
      • East-West Corridor: 3,640 km, connecting Silchar to Porbandar.  
    • Border Roads: Built in strategically important areas, often in challenging terrain like mountains.  
    • International Highways: Connect India with neighboring countries.  
  • Rail Transport:
    • Indian Railways has one of the world’s longest networks, moving both goods and people and contributing to economic growth.  
    • It is the largest government undertaking in India.  
    • Railway lines are classified by the distance between the rails (gauge):
      • Broad Gauge: 1.676 meters  
      • Meter Gauge: 1 meter  
      • Narrow Gauge: 0.762 or 0.610 meters  
    • India is replacing older lines with broad gauge and using more diesel and electric engines to improve speed and capacity.  
    • Konkan Railway: 760 km long, connecting Roha (Maharashtra) to Mangalore (Karnataka).  

• Water Transport:

  • Inland Waterways:
    • Includes rivers, canals, and backwaters.  
    • It is a cheap and fuel-efficient way to move heavy and bulky goods.  
    • India has 14,500 km of navigable waterways.  
    • Inland Waterways Authority of India: Set up in 1986 to manage and develop waterways.  
    • Waterways are classified as National Waterways for development and maintenance.  
    • National Waterways:
      • NW 1: Ganga (Haldia-Allahabad)  
      • NW 2: Brahmaputra (Sadiya-Dhubri)  
      • NW 3: West Coast Canal (Kottapuram-Kollam)  
      • NW 4: Godavari and Krishna rivers  
      • NW 5: Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers  
    • Kerala’s backwaters are important for transport and tourism.  
  • Oceanic Waterways:
    • India has a long coastline with 12 major and 200 minor ports.  
    • These routes are crucial for international trade, carrying 95% of India’s foreign trade by volume and 70% by value.  

• Air Transport:

  • The fastest way to travel, reducing travel time and connecting distant places.  
  • Important for a large country like India with diverse geography.  
  • Airport Authority of India: Manages air traffic and communication services.  
  • UDAN Scheme (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik): Makes flying more affordable and promotes regional connectivity.  
  • Pawan Hans: Helicopter service operating in hilly areas and serving the tourism and petroleum sectors.  

• Pipelines:

  • Efficient for moving liquids and gases over long distances.  
  • Can also transport solids converted into slurry.  
  • Oil India Limited (OIL): Explores, produces, and transports crude oil and natural gas.  
  • GAIL (India) Limited: Transports and markets natural gas.  
  • Important pipelines in India transport crude oil and natural gas, like the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline.  

Communication Networks

• Personal Communication:

  • Includes letters, telephones, telegrams, fax, email, and the internet.  
  • The internet is the most effective, providing access to information and enabling e-commerce.  

• Mass Communication:

  • Includes radio, television, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and public meetings.  
  • Radio: Started in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay and quickly became popular. All India Radio (Akashwani) broadcasts various programs.  
  • Television: An effective way to share information and educate; Doordarshan (DD) is India’s public broadcaster.  
  • Satellite Communication:
    • India uses satellites for telecommunication, weather forecasting, and monitoring natural disasters.  
    • The Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System (IRS) are the two main satellite systems.  

Important Dates

• 1853: First railway line in India  
• 1911: First airmail operation  
• 1923: First radio broadcast  
• 1959: Television service begins in Delhi  
• 1983: INSAT established  
• 1988: IRS system operational  
• 1998: Konkan Railway completed  

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