GEOGRAPH

Y PROJECT

Transportation in India 2021

Development of Roadways, Railways, Waterways and Airways
By Sanjay Panicker
10 C
JSSIS
 JSS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
 
P.O. Box: 37232, JVC, Dubai –
U.A.E 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATE 
 
This is to certify that Mst. Sanjay Panicker has satisfactorily
completed the project in Geography prescribed by the ICSE BOARD-
Grade X of this institution in the year 2021-22. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                
Signature of Teacher in – charge Head of the Department 
 
 
 
Date: 6/10/2021 
Name of the Candidate: Sanjay Panicker
Register Number:  
 Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my parents for providing me with valuable information about
India’s vast transportation systems. I would also like to thank my teacher, Ms.
Chitralekha Dasbairagya for providing me with the opportunity to research on
various topics like law, consumer rights and learn more about the country’s
constitution during the course of this project.
 Table of Contents

Si.No Topic Page Number

1. Introduction 5.
2. Roadways 6.

3. Railways 9.

4. Waterways 11.

5. Airways 13.

6. Conclusion 17.

7. Bibliography 18.
 Introduction

India is the 7th largest country in the world that has over twenty-nine states and
seven union territories. The states are connected by a vast network of roads,
railways, airways, and waterways. Remote areas of the country are connected by
the public transport system, so moving from one place to another is not a problem
in the country. This transport system helps remove the distance barrier and is
essential for sustainable economic development of the country and provides
national integration. A connected India is a stronger India. The history of
transportation in India began from a small base and expanded during the British
era. Walking constituted a major form of transport in ancient times. However, it
has still not lost its roots, The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development
Authority has authorized the construction of more than 50 skywalks to help reduce
pedestrian traffic. The rich used luxurious methods like palanquins or horse
carriages for travelling. Other smaller forms of travelling are human pulled
rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. Horse carts are used in smaller regions of India.
This paper shall discuss the four important methods of transportation prevalent in
India, namely roadways, railways, airways, and waterways.
 Roadways
India has a large network of over 6,215,797 kilometers of roads connecting the
country, making it the second-largest road system in the world, right behind the
United States. Due to its large size, it is difficult to maintain, therefore it becomes a
hurdle to everyday drivers. As a result, the roads have several potholes, poor
sidewalks, and a lack of road and safety equipment. Despite such obstacles, some
states have achieved perfection in road construction. For example, the state of
Karnataka has one of the best roads with a ninety-five long kilometer expressway.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways supervises and controls National
Highways. State Highways are controlled by the concerned public works
department and Rural roads are managed by the Panchayats. One of the biggest
road projects of India is called the "Golden Quadrilateral." It is a national highway
network connecting most of the major industrial, agricultural, and cultural centers
of India. It connects the four major metro cities of India; Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai,
and Chennai. Other cities connected by this network include Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Cuttack, Kanpur, Pune, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Agra. Roads play a
vital role in the transportation of goods and passengers between short and medium
distances. The Bharatmala is a union-sponsored and funded Road and Highways
project of India. The project will build highways from Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and then cover the string of Himalayan territories,
portions of the borders of Uttar   Bihar alongside Terai, and move to West Bengal,
Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and up to Manipur and Mizoram. Roads can
establish easy contact between farms, factories, and markets which help strengthen
the economy. It is with the help of roadways that several religions and cultures
spread all over the world. A great example would be the Silk Road which linked
China with the West. China received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism from
India through this route. India has made substantial progress in the development of
its roadways. The government introduced several projects like The Nagpur
Plan in 1961 that aim to increase the road length and bring every village into a
developed agricultural area within 6.4 km of a metalled road. This part of the plan
is very similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana(PMGSY). The Central Road Fund (CRF) Act was enacted in December
which aims to provide a constant supply of funds and resources for road sector
development. The Build Operate Transfer (BOT) scheme was enacted to increase
business projects. It invites private constructors to build roads and bridges on
behalf of the government. Toll taxes can be collected from vehicles passing
through these roads and bridges for a limited time. These assets are later
transferred to the government's assets. With these projects, it is expected that
potholes and poor roads will be considered things of the past.
Golden Quadrilateral Road Network

Graph that shows increase of road quality in India

 Railways

Rail transport is a means of transporting cargo and passengers across long

distances employing rail where road transport is not available. Railways facilitate
long-distance travel between several states of India as it helps with transportation
with speed and certainty. Railways reduce the dependence on cars for travel and
reduce traffic. The Ministry of Railways oversees railway travel and operations in
the country. The Railway board acts as a statutory company that reports to the
Ministry. Smaller corporations operate suburban and urban railways. Railways
were first introduced in India at Madras in 1832 by the British on the persuasion of
Scottish Missionaries. It then expanded to Bombay and Thane. Electrical railways
were introduced in the country. There were renewed efforts in 2020 to encourage
private sector involvement in the running of passenger trains. Plans were made for
the electrification of railways by 2023. India spent one billion dollars for upgrading
railways and trains in Sri Lanka by using Indian- made technology. They recently
announced that they would be discontinuing link express and slip coaches to save
travel time. India has undertaken several railway projects to catch up with the rest
of the world. It has invested 9.5 Trillion rupees in 2020 to upgrade the IR. Some
modernization projects include the introduction of High- speed rails with the first
one to be implemented in Ahmedabad. They plan to redevelop 400 stations, double
the tracks to reduce congestion and improve safety, use GPS systems in trains to
improve safety and service, and reforestation of railway land. Other safety projects
include a fire alarm system and a Fog Pilot Assistance System Railway Signaling
device installed in four zones. A Biometric Token Machine was recently
introduced at the Secunderabad station to ease the process of passenger boarding
into unreserved coaches by avoiding long queues and by preventing brawls among
travelers. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the railway authorities are now more
dedicated to disinfecting and sanitizing their compartments to ensure the safe travel
of passengers. With these modifications and upgrades, India's railways will update
themselves to the current times and provide better service to Indians using the
service.
Ministry of Railways Graph of Number of electrified rail

Introduction of Electrical Railways

Delhi-Allahabad Bullet train rail

 Waterways
India has an extensive network of inland waterways as rivers, canals, backwaters,
and creeks, and almost 44 million tonnes of cargo are shipped through these
waterways. These areas play a significant role in the country's economy and
increase foreign trade. It is also a cheap mode of transport of India and it is
commonly used by people living near the coasts of India to travel to neighboring
countries like Sri Lanka and union territories like the Andaman Islands. Due to
these waterways, India has made great progress in shipping and gradually became
the second-largest shipping country in Asia and the sixth-largest in the world. The
Inland Water Authorities of India is the authority in charge of the waterways of
India. A disadvantage of these waterways is that it leaves the states near these
coasts defenseless. To protect these areas, the Indian Coast guard patrols the
waterways of India and acts as the maritime law enforcement agency of India.
Even with several possibilities of trade that are available to India, foreign ships can
dock in the 11 major ports of India are Mumbai, Kandla, Marmagaon, New
Mangalore, Kochi Kolkata, Chennai, Haldia, Paradeep, Vishakhapatnam, and
Tuticorin. The biggest port is Mumbai which handles the largest number of ships
as well as trade. To increase the use of waterways for public transport, the National
Waterways Act, 2016 was passed which proposed 106 additional National
Waterways. It aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the nation. Narendra Modi,
the Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the first Ro-Ro Ferry Service in Gujarat
in 2017. To improve the waterways of India, the Inland Waterways Authority of
India (IWAI) was introduced. The present Government plans to set up 30 water
ports on Ganga itself to make reality the premise that traveling by water costs
much less as compared to road or train travel. It includes developing 2000 water
ports and Roll-on-Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services which will be available at five select
places to transport goods and vehicles, across the country. Under this scheme,
Varanasi, Haldia, and Sahibganj will be developed as multi-modal hubs with
linkages to roadways, waterways, and railways. It also includes developing small
jetties, channel markings, night navigational aids, and also deployment of GPS and
river maps and charts for navigation.
Waterways of India Activity of National Waterways

Ro- Ro Ferry service(Gujarat)

Cargo Volume in National Waterways (2020)

 Airways

Due to the large size of the subcontinent, India remains connected to the world to a
large network of airways with planes that continuously enter and leave the country.
India is connected to the world by 39 airlines out of which there are 7 scheduled
airlines, 6 Regional Airlines, 3 Cargo airlines, and 22 charter airlines. There are
also proposals for an upcoming low-budget airline named Akasa Air to start
operations in mid- 2022 and will be operated by former JetAirWays CEO Vinay
Dube. Some of the important and well-recognized airlines from India are Air India,
Air India express (A subsidiary of Air India Limited), GoAir, IndiGo, Spicejet, and
Vistara. India is also home to local projects hosted by international airlines like the
American-based Spirit Airlines and AirAsia India operating from Bangalore.
AirIndia is also ranked thirty-five in the world for operating with a fleet size of
127. Another interesting fact about India's premier airline is that AirIndia was
initially named Tata Airlines and owned by the Tata Group until it underwent
nationalization as the Government of India passed the Air Corporations Act and
purchased a majority stake in the carrier from Tata Sons though its founder J. R. D.
Tata. India also has a large number of airports including 487 total airports,
airstrips, flying schools, and military bases available in the country, 123 airports
with scheduled commercial flights including some with dual civilian and army use,
and 35 international airports with the busiest airports being Indira Gandhi
International Airport of Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in
Maharashtra and Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore. India had a
fairly extensive set of direct air connections to 55 countries located in all the
continents with the exception of Central and South America where no direct flights
existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 80 international airlines flew to
India. Air India (incl. Air India Express, a low-cost regional carrier), India's
national air carrier, served destinations in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and
North America. SpiceJet served South Asian destinations while IndiGo, another
Indian low-cost carrier, served regional destinations including Dubai, Muscat,
Kathmandu, Colombo, Singapore, and Bangkok. Go First commenced
international air services in Oct 2018 initially serving Phuket and Malé. Vistara
began international air services in Aug '19. Jet Airways, with an extensive
international network at its peak, ceased operations on April 19. The main
international gateway airports in India are located at Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru,
Kochi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Other airports having international
flights include Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Mangaluru, Madurai and
Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam and Kozhikode in the southern region - Goa, Pune,
Surat and Ahmedabad in western India - Varanasi, Amritsar, Lucknow and Jaipur
in northern India - Nagpur in central India and Bhubaneswar, Gaya and Guwahati
in eastern India. Kerala's fourth international airport at Kannur began commercial
operations on December 18.
India’s Flag Carrier Airline

Public access to airlines at lower rates

Air networks
Airports of India
 Conclusion
A logical study of the data compiled and interpreted has proven that the
country’s transportation system has developed over the span of several years
and still acts as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage in terms of
providing the public with basic transportation services, maintaining it
effectively and developing it to stay on course with modern progress of
civilization as technology becomes more efficient and is used for the
betterment of the human race. From this project we can understand how vital a
system of transportation is from the common man who wants to move from one
place to another to large trading companies who wish to sell their products
abroad or move materials to other places.
 Bibilography
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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Railways_(India)

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 https://imp.center/i/transport-system-india-railways-roads-waterways-airways-4639/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Waterways_in_India

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_transport_in_India

 https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1539471#:~:text=The%20Government%20is
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%20National%20Waterways,are%20being%20used%20for%20transportation.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_India

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_India

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_India
 https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/rakesh-jhunjhunwala-akasa-
airline-order-boeing-737-max-1877423-2021-11-16

 https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-akasa-air

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
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