To know about the significance of transport and communication, To learn about the achievement and progress made in the field of transport and communication., To understand the role of transport and communication network in the economic development of India.
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
Transport
and communication plays an important role in the development of our country
towards the goal “Developed India”. Hence efficient handling is necessary to
equip the infrastructural base for speedy growth and development. Transport
system helps for the easy movement of men and materials from one place to
another It is an important link between the areas of production and
consumption. Therefore transport system can be considered ‘arteries and veins'
of National development.
A
transport system involves origin, destination, route and the carrier. ‘Origin'
is the point where the traffic originates, 'destination' is the point where it
terminates, 'route’ is the surface on which movement takes place, and the
'carrier' is the vehicle that moves the passenger or cargo.
Communication
network carries information from one place to another physically like postal
service or through wires like telegraph and telephone, or through air like
radio and television. Both transport and communication systems play a vital
role in the upgradation of sustained economic growth of the country.
Modes of transport
Roadways,
Railways, Waterways and Airways are the important
means used for mobility of men and materials. Pipe lines are used for the
transportation of liquid and gas.
Roadways
Roadways
is an effective and increasing roadway transportation for the past few decades,
as they are able to connect most of the remote villages. This has enhanced the
development of village industries by marketing the finished prodcts and also serves
as feeders for railways.
Advantages of the roadways
•
Roadways are easier to construct and maintain
•
Roads can negotiate high gradients and sharp turns which railways cannot do.
•
Roads allow more halts and provide service at the door-step.
•
Quick transportation of perishable goods is possible only through roads.
•
They are very essential during the time of war and at the time of natural
calamities.
•
Roadways reach the very heart of the village.
•
Industrialisation of rural areas is made possible only through the growth of
road transport.
•
Road transport offers employment opportunities.
•
Roadways link backward areas, mountaneous terrain and coastal areas.
•
Roadways help to the movement of men and materials for defence purposes.
Classification of roads
Village Roads
Village
roads link the different villages with main roads. Village panchayats maintain
these roads. District authorities also help in laying the village roads. ucca
roads are laid thereby facilitating smooth transport system.
District Roads
District
roads link the different villages with district head quarters. They maintained
by the municipalities.
State Highways
These
roads connect the connect the state capitals with other important cities of the
state. The state governments maintain these roads. These roads are considered to
be the main arteries of passenger and freight transport. Chennai Coimbatore State
Highway is an example.
National Highways
National
highways connect the important cities and capitals of the country. They are
constructed and maintained by the central government.
Border Roads
The
central government has set up the “Border Roads Development Doard" which
maintains the existing roads and builds new one and surface : them. These roads
help in accelerating the economic development in border areas. (e.g.) The
Northern and North Eastern hilly states have been made more accessible through
the development of these roads,
International highways
Some
of the National Highways of India have been linked with important roads of
neighbouring countries as per the agreement made with the ESCAP (Economic and
Social Commission on Asia and Pacific). The construction and maintenance are
financed by the World Bank. (e.g.) The major arterial road joining capital of
neighbouring country is the “International highway of India and Lahore in
Pakistan”.
In
order to meet the requirements of fast traffic 'Express way National High ways'
have been planned. 4 to 6 lane National highways of 14,846 kms distance are
proposed to be constructed.
Express Way National
Highways are grouped as follows
1.
The Golden Quadrilateral connecting four metropolitan cities. Delhi - Kolkata -
Chennai - Mumbai and Delhi (2846 kms).
2.
North - South and East - West corridors (7300 kms) which will connect Srinagar
to Kanyakumar and Silchar to Saurashtra respectively.
3.
National highway of 363 km length will connect major ports.
This
task involves a heavy expenditure and measures have been taken by the Government
to speed up the project.
‘National
High Ways Act' has been amended to enable the government to levy fee on certain
sections of the National High Ways.
This
amendment enables the private sector to undertake the construction, maintains
and operation of roads under “Build, Operate and Transfer basis” (BOT).
Railways
Indian
railway system is the largest in Asia and the fourth largest in the world.
There
are at present sixteen railway zones under Indian railways. It forms the
lifeline of the country and it is one of the best developed transport networks
catering to the needs of bulk movement of traffic - both freight and passenger.
The first railway line was laid between Thane and Mumbai in 1853. It was
introduced by the British mainly for the economic exploitation. After the
Independence, the government paid special attention towards the development of
railways.
The
pattern of Indian railway network has been influenced by geographical, politcal
and economic factors.
Railway
network is dense in the North Indian Plains'. It is highly linked to the level
of agricultural and industrial development. 'Delhi' is the focal points from
where railway lines radiate in all directions. Railway network is dense in the
Peninsular region also. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have a denser rail network than
other parts. Trunk routes connect Mumbai with Chennai, Chennai with Delhi and
Chennai with Hyderabad.
Railway
network is sparse in the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas. The rugged
terrain, topography of hills and valleys, backward economy and sparse
population are the factors responsible for the sparse rail network in this region.
Only few railway lines are found in railway lines are found in western
Rajasthan and due to its and tract. Bihar plains. The rail network between
Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains has a distinct contrast. A
long trunk route runs all along the East Coast. Whereas it has not been
developed along west coast due to the western ghats, Which lie very close to
the coast, ‘Konkan Railway' has been built between Mumbai and Mangalore along
the West Coast.
Significance of Railways
Railways
have contributed a lot for the development of agriculture and industries.
Railways have strengthened our national integration. The hinterlands ore also
well connected by railways. So they are responsible for enormous growth of
trade. Iron and steel industry solely depends upon the railways as they
transport raw materials and finished goods of the industry from one place to
another.)
(Railways
provide employment to a huge number of people in the country. The “Railway Mail
Service' adds value to the service of railways.
After
the Independence, some steps have been taken for the further improvement of
Indian railways. 'Steam engines’ have been replaced by more powerful diesel or
electric engines. The number of tracks on important routes have been increased.
‘Computerised reservation system has also been introduced and on line booking
saves time for commuters. Railways have introduced long distance super-fast
trains.ce:g. Redshank Express, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi trains, etc. Chair car
with provision of good food are another special facilities offered by the
railways. “Super fast trains' like Rajdhani connecting major metros is a boon
to the people of India. ‘Container Corporation of India' has introduced
container services which provide door to door service for goods and
commodities. Metro railway track system (MRTS) are being planned in major
metropolitan cities of India like Chennai and Kolkatta.
The
‘Interactive telephone enquiry system provides upto date information about
reservation availability, current status, waiting list,
Reservation
against cancellation (RAC) tickets and trains and arrivals and department
trains. The major improvement in railways are the facility for booking tickets
through internet and and payment of tickets through credit card facilities.
Waterways
Waterways
are the cheapest means of transport. It may be divided as "Inland
waterways" and "ocean transport".
Inland
waterways
Inland
water transport is carried on through internal waterways like river, canals and
lakes. Some of them are
-
River Ganga is nagivable upto Varanasi.
-
River Hooghly helps in connecting the major ports of Kolkata within hinterland.
-
Number of canals re constructed on as Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna in
peninsular India.
-
Kurnool - Cuddapah canal is Andhrapradesh.
Factors affecting the
development of inland waterways
-
The rivers and canals should have regular flow of sufficient water.
-
The presence of waterfalls and cataracts in the course of river hinders the
development of water ways.
-
Silting of the river bed always create problems for navigation.
Ocean
transport
India
has a long coastlines (including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadeep islands).
Twelve major ports and 181 medium and minor ports are located on this coast
line. The major ports are managed and controlled by "Port Trust' under the
Central Government. State Governments control medium and minor ports. More than
70% of sea-borne trade is handled by major ports in India.The major ports
located on the west coast are Kandla Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva near
Mumbai), Murmagao (Go), Mangalore and Cochin.
Tuticorin,
Chennai, Ennore, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata/ Haldia and Paradip are the major
ports located on the East coast of India. The important intermediate ports are
Kakinada, Machulipantam, Cuddalore, Nagapatnam on the east coast,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Allenne Bhavnagar and Porbandhar on the west coast.
India
is the second largest ship - owning country in Asia and ranks sixteenth in the
world. India has major ship building yards. They can any Hindustan Shipyard at
Vishakhapatnam, Garden Reach workshops Kolkata, Mazagaon Dock at Mumbai and
Cochin Shipyard.
Government
of India has issued guide lines for private investment in the port sector.
Indian government has awarded a licence to the port of Singapore Authority for
the development of a container terminal on BOT basis for a 30 year period.
Indian Ports Act 1908, and Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 have been made flexible
to allow private investment in ports.
Air Transport
Airways
is the fastest and costliest means of transport which carry passengers, freight
and mail. They connect local, regional, national and international cities. Air
transport is necessary in North eastern parts of the country because of
strategic reasons and difficult terrain. Helicopters de becoming popular in our
mountainous border area. In 1953 air transport was nationalised Civil Aviation
controls and supervises the activities of the air and gives guidelines for the
safe operations of the craft.
Now
a days there are two air services in operation. They are Air M and Indian
Airlines.
Air
India provides International air services. Indian airlines caters to domestic
needs linking major cities and towns of India.
There
are two types of airports such as international and domes airports,
International airports handle air traffic between India to the rest of the
world. There are around 13 international airports and 63 domestic airports in India.
Domestic airports handle air traffic within the country and to neighbouring
countries. Airports are managed by the ‘Airport
Authority of India’.
Besides
this Government services, Pawanhans helicopters Ltd., provides helicopter
services Private airlines such as Air Sahara, Air Deccan, Jet Airways Fisher
Airlines, etc. provide domestic air services in India.
Airways
of India has come to occupy a place of increasing importance in the
transportation system of the country.
Major
international air routes are
-
Delhi - Rome - Frankfurt
-
Mumbai - London - New York
-
Delhi – Moscow
-
Kolkata - Tokyo
-
Kolkatta - Perth
Pipelines
Pipelines
are used for transporting crude oil, petroleum products and natural products and
natural gas from oil fields to the refineries, factories and big thermal power
plants. Pipe lines are more reliable and considerably safer mode of
transportation. The possibility of pilferage or product less on pipelines is
almost negligible. The basic limitations of pipelines is that they are capital
intensive mode of transportation.
There
are some important networks of pipeline transportation in the country.
-
Pipeline from upper Assam oil fields to Kanpur via Guwahati, Barauni and
Allahabad.
-
Gas pipeline from Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in U.P. via Bijapur in M.P.
is another pipe line connects Mumbai High (in the sea) with Mumbai and Mumbai
with pune.
Communication
"The
means through which we exchange our ideas and send information is called the
means of communication”. They are two types (1) Personal communication (2) Mass
communication network.
Personal
communication includes postal service, telegram, telephone, Internet, e-mail,
fax etc.
Mass
communication network plays a vital role in creating awareness about national
policies policies and programmes by providing information education. Mass communication
can be divided into two categories:
1.
Print Media (Books, journals, magazines, newspapers etc.)
2.
Elertronic media (Radio, television, tele communication, mobile telephone,
e-mail, e-commerce, teleprinters and cables)
Bharath
Sanchar Nigam Ltd. looks after the telecommunication services in India. STD and
ISD telephone services are now available. Private companies have been given
licences to start cellular mobile telephone services. In recent limes, a number
of other value added services like voice mail, audio text, e-mail, radio etc.
are in operation in India.
Postal Service
Three
fourth of Indian population live in villages which has been connected by mail
service. The postal department of India has introduced "Air Mail Service”, "Railway Mail service” and “Speed Post" to facilitate faster deivery
of mails.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
All
India Radio was was constituted in 1936. It is also known as Akashwani. Now AIR
has 208 stations and 327 transmitting centers. These stations and transmitting centers
provide services to 99% of the population and covers 90 % areas of our country.
Private broadcasters have set up FM Radio Stations. All India Radio broadcasts
a variety of programmes to related to information, education, agriculture and
entertainment.
Computers
have a wide range of uses and play an important role society in the field of
education, banking, and business transactions at the global level. The world
has been shrunk since the introduction of internet.
Satellite
is the latest means of communication, which has brought revolution in the
communication system in India and the world. Satellite systems in India can be
grouped into two on the basis of two satellites namely “Indian National
Satellite" (INSAT) and "Indian Remote sensing Satellite” (IRS). These
satellites collect data in several spectral band and transmit them to ground
stations for various uses. The communicator and remote sensing satellites INSAT
and IRS have revolutionized India's communication system, metrological studies
and natural resource management. The National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) at
Hydrabad provides facilities for acquisition of data and its processing. There
is no doubt that India to irrefutably arrived as a space power in the world.
Our
need of the hour is to connect the far-flung regions together to strengthen the
“national economy" and "unity”. Thus transport network and
communication enhance economic development of our country on hand and nationa
integration through mutual understanding on the other hand.
Status of transport and communication in Tamil Nadu
1. Road Transport in
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu is one of the industrially
developed states in India with a strong and committed human resources.
Availability of natural resources coupled with human resources has made
possible for establishment of various industrial units in the state over the
last 50 years. These industries are well connected through roads and railways.
Tamil Nadu has a wide network of roads in which nearly 82000km come under the
category of surfaced roads. These roads also help farmers in the villages to
take their agricultural produce to the local as well as national market.
2. Railway Transport
in Tamil Nadu: Various economic and trade centers in
Tamil Nadu are well connected through a dense network of railways. Railway
network in Tamil Nadu has a total length of 3937kms. The railway network helps
to transport a significant quantity of goods produced in the states. Chennai is
the headquarters of the Southern Railways. Suburban railways in cities and
towns carry large numberof passengers from one place to the other. Mass Rapid
Transit System (MRTS) is newly planned multi crore suburban railway project.
This project once fully operational has the potential to contribute
significantly to the economic development of the state.
3. Maritime and Air
Transport in Tamil Nadu: Chennai is a major international
harbour located in the east coast of India and contributes significantly to
India's foreign trade. Intermediate ports at Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and
Tuticorin are the main links of maritime transport in Tamil Nadu. Air Ports at
Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli Caters the needs of air
transport.
4. Communication in
Tamil Nadu: Communication in Tamil Nadu is well
connected through posts and telegraph offices and also through a wide network
of telecommunication centers. Tamil Nadu has 25 post offices for every one lakh
population. Government has taken steps to make communication easy and
affordable. Communication network in Tamil Nadu is designed even to handle the
aftermath of natural disasters suvli as Tsunami efficiently. Transport and
communication networks help not only in the economic development of the state
but also to minimize the affect of natural disasters.
Geography of India : Tag: Geography of India : - Status of transport and communication in India