G.D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL SILIGURI

Class X, SST (Geography)

Chapter: 7 – LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY

PART- III

 Air transport:
 Air transport is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode of transport.
 Air transport was nationalized in 1953.

Classification:
1. International
2. Domestic
3. Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd.
 Air India provides international services.
 Indian Airlines, Alliance Air (subsidiary of Indian Airlines), private scheduled airlines
and non scheduled operators provide domestic air services.
 Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd. provides helicopter services to Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation, difficult and inaccessible areas like the North East states and interior
parts of J & K., Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
SOME INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS:

 Indira Gandhi IA (New Delhi)

 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose IA (Kolkata)
 Sahara/ Chhatrapati Shivaji IA (Mumbai)
 Menambakkam IA (Chennai)
 Raja Sansi IA (Amritsar)
 Rajiv Gandhi IA (Hyderabad)
 Gopinath Bodoli IA (Guwahati)

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Importance/Advantage of Air Transport:

1. Fastest mode of transport.

2. Almost indispensible for business people, defense, natural calamities.
3. Very significant in hilly, inaccessible regions, border areas.
4. Most important during times of emergencies.

Problems/Disadvantage of Air Transport:

1. Most expensive mode of transport.
2. Cannot operate in bad weather.
3. Requires large area for landing.

 Waterways:
 Cheapest mode of transport in India with a long coastline of 6,000 kms and inland
navigable waterways of 14,500 kms out of which only 3,700 kms are navigable.
 However in India, it provides only 1% of the total transport of the country.

Means of waterways:
1. Inland waterways.
2. Coastal shipping.
Inland waterways

National Waterways:
 Ganga & Brahmaputra & tributaries carry largest part of river traffic

 NW No. 1 :The Ganga river between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 kms)
 NW No.2 :The Sadiya - Dhubri stretch of Brahmaputra river (891 kms)
 NW No.3 :The West Coast canal in Kerala (Koll am- Kottapurma, Champakara and
Udyognamdal canals (205 kms)
 NW No.4 :Specified stretches of rivers Godavari and Krishna
 NW No.5: Specified stretches of river Brahmani along with delta channels of river
Mahanadi.

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 IMPORTANT NATIONAL WATERWAYS

Importance of Inland Water Transport:

1. Played an important role since ancient times, though in recent times it has declined due to
expansion of road and railway transport.
2. Diversion of river water for irrigation has reduced its importance.
3. Demand is declining as its not as fast as roadways, railways or airways.
4. Seasonal variation in the volume of water.
5. However for North Eastern states it is important during monsoons.

Advantages of Waterways: (Inland and Coastal):

1. Environment friendly.
2. Cheapest mode of transport especially for carrying heavy and bulky goods.
3. Coastal industries are dependent on coastal shipping as it reduces the burden on rail and
road transport system.
4. Provides employment.
5. Promotes tourism.
6. 95% of the country’s international trade is carried out through the sea ports located along
the coastline.
Disadvantages of Inland waterways:
1. Slowest mode of transport.
2. Inland transport depends upon the regular flow of sufficient water in the river.
3. There should be sufficient demand to make it economically viable.
4. Diversion of river water for irrigation and silting of river beds creates problem for
navigation as the water becomes too shallow.

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 Major sea ports and shipping:
 Ports play a crucial role in economic development and international trade.
 7,617 km coastline with 12 major ports and 187 minor ports.
 Major ports handle 95% of Indian foreign trade by volume and 70% by value.
 Major ports are under the jurisdiction of Central government.
 Minor and intermediate ports are managed and maintained by respective state
governments.
 Visakhapatnam handles the maximum traffic.
Major sea ports: along the East coast:
1. Kolkata – Haldia- Gateway to Eastern India: Kolkata is an inland riverine port. Being a
tidal port it requires constant dredging of Hooghly. It serves a very large and rich hinterland of
Ganga- Brahmaputra basin. The Haldia port located 105 kms downstream of Kolkata mainly to
release congestion in Kolkata.
• Items of export: tea ,jute products , iron and steel
• Items of import: crude oil and machinery
2. Paradwip:
Located in the East coast in Orissa.
Items of export: iron ore.
3. Vishakhapatnam:
It is the deepest landlocked and well protected port in Andhra Pradesh along the East coast.
• Items of export: iron ore and manganese.
• Items of import: mineral oil and coal.
4. Chennai:
It is one of the oldest artificial ports in Tamil Nadu along the east coast. It is ranked next to
Mumbai in terms of volume of trade and cargo.
• Items of export: rice, fish and fish products.
• Items of import: crude oil and machinery.
It often faces the problem of cyclones during the months of October and November.
5. Tuticorin:
Along the east coast in Tamil Nadu. It has a natural harbor and rich hinterland. It carries trade
mainly with Sri Lanka and Maldives.

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Major sea ports: along the West coast:
6. Kandla: It is s a tidal port in Gujarat along its East coast. This port was developed after
independence, with the loss of Karachi port to Pakistan. It was constructed to relieve
congestion in Mumbai port. It handles both export and import of granary and industrial items.
7. Mumbai-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT): Gateway to India:
Has a natural harbor along the west coast in Maharashtra. It handles foreign trade with the
western, east African and Gulf countries.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port: was opened in1989 to release the pressure in Mumbai.
• Items of export: cotton textile and leather.
• Items of import: crude oil and machines.
8. Marmagao: in Goa along the west coast is an important iron ore exporting port. It occupies
5th position in handling the traffic.
• Items of export: iron ore, coconut and other nuts.
• Imports through this port is very few.
9. New Mangalore: In Karnataka along the west coast.
• Exports mainly iron ore from Kudermukh mines.
 Supporting study link:

1. https://youtu.be/G_TYLA7v13U
2. https://youtu.be/lgn4An23S8M
3. https://youtu.be/--nkulu0nkl
4. https://youtu.be/zVMQ7Ybqt7k

 HOME ASSIGNMENT:
Answer the following questions:
1. Mention any three advantages and any two problems of air transport.
2. Name the three important National Waterways of India.
3. Discuss two disadvantages and three advantages of water transport.
4. What is riverine port? Give one example.
5. What is the problem faced by Chennai sea port?
6. Name one sea port which has an artificial harbor and one sea port which has a natural harbor.
7. Write a note on Kandla sea port.
8 On the outline map of India fill up the following:
i) Indira Gandhi International airport. ii) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport.
ii) Mumbai seaport. iv) Vishakhapatnam seaport. v) Tuticorin seaport.

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 NOTE: All the questions and answers to be written in your copy note books and
submitted in the form of PDF in the MS Teams (Assignments or Chat Box).

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