Class 12 Geography Chapter 20 Transport and Communication in India The answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters SCERT Class 12 Geography Chapter 20 Transport and Communication in India and select need one.
Class 12 Geography Chapter 20 Transport and Communication in India
Also, you can read the SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board/NCERT Class 12 Geography Chapter 20 Transport and Communication in India Solutions for All Subject, You can practice these here…
LONG TYPE QUESTION & ANSWERS (MARKS-5)
Q.1. Describe various types of road in India.
Ans :- National Highway :
(i) The roads constructed and maintained by the Central Government are known as the National Highways.
(ii) They are meant for inter-state transport and movement of defence personnels and material in strategic areas.
(iii) They also connect the state capitals, major cities, important ports. railways junctions ete.
(iv) Length of the National Highways has increased from 19.700 km in 1951 to 65,769 km in 2005.
(v) They constitute only two percent of the total road length but carry 40 percent of the road traffic.
(vi) National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up in 1995.
(vii) It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Surface Transport.
(viii). Its responsibility is development, maintenance and operation of National Highways.
(ix) NHAI is also the apex body to improve the quality of roads designated as National Highways.
State Highways :
(i) State highways are constructed and maintained by State Governments.
(ii) They join the state capitals with district headquarters and other important towns of the state.
(iii) They are connected to the National Highways.
(iv) They constitute 4 percent of the total road length in the country.
District Roads:
(i) District roads are the connecting link between District Headquarters and the other important nodes in the district.
(ii) They account for 14 percent of the total road length of the country.
Rural Roads :
(i) Rural roads provide vital links in the rural areas.
(ii) Nearly 80 percent of the total road length in India are grouped as rural roads.
(iii) There is regional variation in the density of rural road because these are influenced by the nature of the terrain.
Other Roads :
(i) Other roads include Border Roads and International Highways.
Border Road Organisation (BRO) was established in May 1960 for accelerating economic development and strengthening defence preparedness through rapid and co-ordinated improvement of strategically important roads along the northern and north-eastern borders of the country.
(ii) BRO is a premier multifaceted construction agency.
Q.2. Discuss the problems and prospects of Air Transport in India.
Ans :- The problems and prospect of Air Transport in India are :
(i) Employee shortage : There is clearly a shortage of trained and skilled manpower in the aviation sector as a consequence of which there is cut-throat competition for employees which in turn, is driving wages to unsustainable levels. Moreover, the industry is unable to retain talented employees.
(ii) Regional connectivity: One of the biggest challenges facing the aviation sector in India is to be able to provide regional connectiv- ity. What is hampering the growth of regional connectivity is the lack of airports.
(iii) Rising fuel prices : As fuel prices have climbed, the inverse relationship between fuel prices and airline stock prices has been demonstrated. Moreover, the rising fuel prices have led to increase in the air fares.
(iv) Declining yields : LCCs and other entrants together now command a market share of around 46%. Legacy carriers are being forced to match LCC fares, during a time of escalating costs. Increasing growth prospects have attracted & are likely to attract more players, which will lead to more competition. All this has resulted in lower returns for all operators.
(v) Gaps in infrastructure : Airport and air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure is inadequate to support growth. While a start has been made to upgrade the infrastructure, the results will be visible only after 2 – 3 years.
(vi) Trunk routes: It is also a matter of concern that the trunk routes, at present, are not fully exploited. One of the reasons for inability to realize the full potential of the trunk routes is the lack of genuine competition. The entry of new players would ensure that air fares are brought to realistic levels, as it will lead to better cost and revenue management, increased productivity and better services. This in turn would stimulate demand and lead to growth.
(vii) High input costs : Apart from the above-mentioned factors, the input costs are also high. Some of the reasons for high input costs are:- Withholding tax on interest repayments on foreign currency loans for aircraft acquisition. Increasing manpower costs due to shortage of technical personnel.
Q.3. How is water transport important to us?
Ans :- Water transport is cheap. Capital goods, heavy machinery and bulk raw and finished goods can easily and cheaply be transported from and out of the country to the foreign countries. Its importance can be judged from the following facts.
(i) Increase in Economic Activity : If a country has sufficient and sound infrastructure in the form of ports and waterways, the economic activity increases because many ships with tons of goods move in and out of harbors of the country.
(ii) Increase in Foreign Exchange : Water transport increases the foreign trade, as it increases the imports and exports of merchandise from one to the other parts of the world. International trade flourishes and trading partners are benefited a lot.
(iii) Decrease in Transportation Cost : Transportation cost reduces too much. Thus goods become cheaper which improves the international trade between the various nations of the world.
(iv) Increase in Government Revenue : When foreign trade increases, it not only benefits the general public, but it also becomes a great source of revenue for the government by way of customs duties.
(v) Increase in Employment Opportunities : Too many people get jobs in the shipping industry, as well as in loading the goods from the ships. Thus directly and indirectly lots of jobs are created. This increases the general welfare of the people of the country.
Q.4. Write tire advantages and disadvantages of railway transport.
Ans :- The advantages & disadvantages of railway transport. Railway transport occupies a significant role in the transport system of a country because the development of trade, industry and commerce of a country largely depends on the development of railways.
Advantages :
(i) It facilitates long distance travel and transport of bulky goods which are not easily transported through motor vehicles.
(ii) It is a quick and more regular form of transport because it helps in the transportation of goods with speed and certainty.
(iii) It helps in the industrialization process of a country by easy transportation of coal and raw materials at a cheaper rate.
(iv) It helps in the quick movement of goods from one place to another at the time of emergencies like famines and scarcity.
(v) It encourages mobility of labour and thereby provides a great scope for employment.
(vi) Railway is the safest form of transport. The chances of accidents and breakdown of railways are minimum as compared to other modes of transport. Moreover, the traffic can be protected from the exposure to sun, rain, snow etc.
(vii) The carrying capacity of the railways is extremely large. Moreover, its capacity is elastic which can easily be increased by adding more wagons.
(viii) It is the largest public undertaking in the country. Railways per form many public utility services. Their charges are based on what the traffic can bear principles which helps the poor. In fact, it is a national necessity.
Disadvantages :
(i) The railway requires a large investment of capital. The cost of construction, maintenance and overhead expenses are very high as compared to other modes of transport. Moreover, the investments are specific and immobile. In case the traffic is not sufficient, the investments may mean wastage of huge resources.
(ii) Another disadvantage of railway transport is its inflexibility. It routes and timings cannot be adjusted to individual requirements.
(iii) Rail transport cannot provide door to door service as it is tied to a particular track. Intermediate loading or unloading involves greater cost, more wear and tear and wastage of time. The time cost of terminal operations are a great disadvantage of rail transport.
(iv) As railways require huge capital outlay, they may give rise to monopolies and work against public interest at large. Even if controlled and managed by the government, lack of competition may breed in inefficiency and high costs.
(v) Railway transport is unsuitable and uneconomical for short distances and small traffic of goods.
(vi) It involves much time and labour in booking and taking delivery of goods through railways as compared to motor transport.
(vii) Because of huge capital requirements and traffic, railways cannot be operated economically in rural areas. Thus, large rural areas have no railway even today. This caused much inconvenience to the people living in rural areas.
Q.5. Describe the road transport pattern in India.
Ans :- Road transport is carried by roads. It is done through cars, motors, buses and trucks. Road transport carriers goods and passengers over short distances. The system provides door to door transport services. Roads run a risk of wayside robberies, looting etc. India boasts as having one of the largest road networks in the world with a total length of 33.1% lakh km according to 2005 statistics. Nearly 85% percent of passengers and 70 percent of freight traffic are carried by roads per annum. Road transport is relatively suitable for shorter distances. Roads continue to concentrate in and around urban centres. Rural and remote areas had the least connectivity by road.
Q.6. Describe the characteristics of the distribution of Railway Network in India.
Ans :- Characteristics of the distribution of Railway Network in India: The distribution of railway network in India has the following characteristics :
(i) A dense network of railways has been developed in the Northern India Plain from Amritsar to Howrah with a few focal points like Delhi-Kanpur-Mughal Sarai, Lucknow, Agra and Patna. The whole of the Northern Plain is very well connected. The rail network in this plain is highly linked to the level of agricultural and industrial development. Delhi is the focal point from where railway lines radiate in all directions. It is connected with all parts through super fast trains and other trains.
(ii) Railway network is sparse in the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas. The rugged terrain, hill and valley topography, backward economy and sparse population are the factors responsible for the sparse rail network in this region. The other such region is Western Rajasthan where a few metre gauge railway lines are spread over the arid tract. Brahmaputra valley has two parallel lines but no railway line is found in Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.
(iii) The Peninsular region, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have a denser rail network as compared to other parts. Trunk routes connect Mumbai with Chennai, Chennai with Kochi (Cochin), Chennai with Delhi, and Chennai with Hyderabad.
(iv) The rail network between East Coastal Plains and West Coastal Plains has a distinct contrast. A long trunk route all along the East Coast but such a rail track is missing along the Western Coast from Mumbai to Cochin due to the outerops of the Western Ghats being very close to the coast. Now Konkan Railway has been built between Mumbai and Mangalore along the West Coast.
Q.7. Write a geographical account of pipeline transport in India.
Ans :- Pipelines are the most convenient and efficient mode of transporting liquids and gases over long distances. Even solids can also be transported by pipelines after converting them into slurry. Another extensive network of pipelines has been constructed in the westem region of India of which Ankleshwar-Koyali, Mumbai High Koyali and Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) are most important. Recently, a 1256 km long pipeline connecting Salaya (Gujarat) with Mathura (U.P) has been constructed. It supplies crude oil from Gujarat to Punjab (Jalandhar) via Mathura. Oil is in the process of constructing a 660 km long pipeline from Numaligarh to Siliguri.
Q.8. Explain the role of the transport network in the development of India.
Ans :- The role of transport network in the development of India :
(i) Lifelines of the country : Efficient and developed means of modern transport provide a helping hand in maintaining the sovereignty and economic unity of a nation. In India, the Central Government controls National Highways and the Railways directly. They act as the arteries of our land transport network. They are all real life lines of our nation and its economy as they connect Leh (J & K) with Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) on one side and Sadiya (Assam) with Okha (Gujarat) on the other side.
(ii) Transportation : Transport network carries foodgrains and various manufactured goods from place of origin to place of consumption. They bring industrial raw materials, power fuels like coal and mineral oil and other materials at the sites of industrial units spread all over the country.
(iii) Turning the local market into a national market : Transport networks turn local markets of the previous day into national markets of today. Ships carry exportable surpluses to other countries and import goods of our requirements.
(iv) Help in the development of the economy : The branch road, the feeder railway lines and inland waterways fulfil-local needs of inner regions. Thus they integrate them with the country’s market economy. Development of the transport network leads to commercialisation of agriculture, manufacturing of goods, growth of towns and cities and increase in the mobility of the people.
(v) National integration of the country : Air transport facilitates reach to the remotest corners of the country in no time. Aircraft and helicopter services make the people on high Himalayas, the nomads of the Thar desert and saline wastes of Rajasthan and Kachchha and North-East India feel to be the part and parcel of India. Air transport brings immediate and distant neighbours closer to each other in the present world of trade and commerce.
(vi) Cultural integration: Transport network brings people of different castes, creeds, colours, religions, languages and regions nearer to one another. They act, react and interact with one another and begin to feel as soons of the soil. Thys transport network helps in the cultural and national integration of the country. This is, in short, the role of the transport network in the overall development of the country.
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