ICSE Class 10 Geography - Transport System in India

Flashcards vocabulary set covering transportation systems in India, including roadways, railways, airways, inland waterways, and major oceanic ports based on lecture notes.

Transport

The movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another.

Grand Trunk (GT) Road

A famous road built by Sher Shah Suri to strengthen and consolidate his empire, connecting Kolkata and Peshawar.

Sher Shah Suri

The ruler who built the famous Grand Trunk (GT) road connecting Kolkata and Peshawar.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

A statutory body set up in 1988 responsible for the development, maintenance, and management of National Highways in India.

Percentage of Indian Villages Lacking All-Weather Roads

40 per cent of villages in India still lack access to all-weather roads and remain isolated during the monsoon season.

National Highways

Main highways running through the length and breadth of the country connecting major cities, constructed and maintained by the Central Government.

Longest National Highway (NH7)

The longest National Highway in India, spanning a total length of 7700 km.

Expressways

Highways planned for high-speed traffic, having few intersections, limited points of access or exit, a divider between opposite lanes, and usually six to eight lanes.

Access Control

The primary difference between a highway and an expressway, where expressways limit entry and exit to specific places while highways merge with or cross multiple roads.

Expressway Facilities

Specialized facilities provided on expressways including access ramps, lane dividers, telephone booths, CCTV cameras, and mobile radars.

Agra - Lucknow Expressway

An expressway that reduces travel time to 3.5 hours.

Yamuna Expressway

An expressway connecting Greater Noida to Agra, opened in 2012.

Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway

India's first 4-lane expressway, opened in 2001, which reduced travel time to 1 hour.

Delhi - Gurgaon Expressway

An expressway connecting Gurgaon to Delhi, opened in 2008.

Mumbai Pune Expressway

India's first 6-lane expressway.

Noida Greater Noida Expressway

A 6-lane expressway connecting Noida and Greater Noida.

Golden Quadrilateral (GQ)

The largest express highway project in India, connecting the four largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

Additional Cities Served by GQ

Major cities served by the Golden Quadrilateral network including Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat.

Economic Benefits of Golden Quadrilateral

Interconnects major cities and ports, encourages truck transport, enables industrial growth in small towns, and provides transport for agricultural produce from the hinterland for export.

North-South and East-West Corridors (NS-EW)

The largest highway project in India, consisting of four/six lane expressways connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari and Porbandar to Silchar.

North-South Corridor Route

The express highway route segment connecting Srinagar in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.

East-West Corridor Route

The express highway route segment connecting Porbandar in the west to Silchar in the east.

State Highways

Roads connecting National Highways, district headquarters, important tourist centres, and minor ports within a state, maintained by the state government.

District Roads

Important roads within a district connecting areas of production with markets, as well as connecting small towns with one another or with State and National Highways.

Rural Roads Length Percentage

Rural roads constitute about 80 per cent of the total road length in India.

Original Composition of Rural Roads

Most rural roads in India were initially sand roads.

Role of Rural Roads

They move agricultural produce and finished products of small-scale industries from producing centres to marketing centres.

Other Roads Category

A category of roads that includes Border Roads and International Highways.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

An organisation set up in 1960 for strengthening defence preparedness and accelerating economic development along the northern and north-eastern boundaries of India.

Manali to Leh Road

The world's highest road constructed by the BRO, connecting Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Ladakh.

Average Altitude of Manali to Leh Road

An average altitude of 4,270 metres.

Responsibilities of Border Roads Organisation

Construction and maintenance of roads in sensitive areas, snow clearance in high altitude areas, and construction of airfields, buildings, and permanent bridges.

Key Advantages of Roadways

Reaches every village, lower construction cost than railways, adaptable to difficult terrain, offers door-to-door service, and supplements other modes of transport.

Key Disadvantages of Roadways

Many roads are unsurfaced, poor road surfaces cause vehicle wear and tear, presence of multiple check-posts/tolls, and high traffic congestion.

Role of Indian Railways

The principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers, bringing people together for business, sightseeing, pilgrimage, and education.

First Railway Line Year

1853, when a line was constructed from Mumbai to Thane.

First Railway Line Route and Distance

Constructed from Mumbai to Thane, covering a distance of 34 km.

Year of Railway Nationalisation

1951, when the railway systems were nationalised as one unified unit.

Daily Passenger Volume of Indian Railways

Transporting over 18 million passengers daily.

Daily Freight Volume of Indian Railways

Transporting more than 2 million tonnes of freight daily.

Indian Railways Workforce Size

The world's largest employer, with more than 1.4 million employees.

Number of Stations in Indian Railways

Covering 7,137 stations across the country.

Number of Zones in Indian Railways

The Indian Railway system is divided into 17 zones.

Broad Gauge

A track system where the distance between rails is 1.676 metre, accounting for 85 per cent of the total rail route length in India.

Konkan Railway Line

A 760 km long Broad Gauge rail route on the west coastal lowland connecting Roha in Maharashtra to Mangalore in Karnataka.

Route of Konkan Railway Line

Connects Roha in Maharashtra to Mangalore in Karnataka.

Length of Konkan Railway Line

760 km long.

Metre Gauge

A track system where the distance between rails is 1 metre, accounting for about 11 per cent of the total route length.

Narrow Gauge

A track system where the distance between rails is 0.762 metre and 0.610 metre, accounting for about 4 per cent of the total route length, mainly confined to hilly areas.

Broad Gauge Width

1.676 metre distance between rails.

Metre Gauge Width

1 metre distance between rails.

Narrow Gauge Widths

0.762 metre and 0.610 metre distance between rails.

Broad Gauge Route Share

85 per cent of the total length of rail route in India.

Metre Gauge Route Share

11 per cent of the total rail route length in India.

Narrow Gauge Route Share

4 per cent of the total rail route length in India.

Key Advantages of Railways

Cost-effective movement of bulky goods, transports raw materials and finished goods, transfers ideas to rural areas, reduces suffering during calamities, and moves defense forces.

Key Disadvantages of Railways

Lacks flexibility of routes, difficulty in laying tracks in hilly/forested areas, tiring very long journeys, air/noise pollution from steam engines, and inability to cross oceans.

First Air Transport Flight Details

Air transport started in India between Allahabad and Naini in 1911.

Airports Authority of India (AAI)

The nodal agency responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India.

Establishment Year of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.

1985.

Primary Objectives of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.

Providing helicopter support services to the oil sector in offshore exploration, operating in hilly and inaccessible areas, and charter flights for tourism.

Key Advantages of Air Transport

Fastest and most comfortable mode, vital during natural calamities, and easily crosses mountain barriers, deserts, forests, and large water bodies.

Key Disadvantages of Air Transport

Costly, weather-dependent, relies on non-renewable petroleum, and carries small tonnage with high freight charges.

Peninsular Rivers Navigation Limitation 1

Peninsular rivers are seasonal because they are rain-fed.

Peninsular Rivers Navigation Limitation 2

Peninsular rivers are comparatively shorter than the rivers of northern India.

Peninsular Rivers Navigation Limitation 3

Peninsular rivers are marked by a number of waterfalls.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)

The statutory authority responsible for building infrastructure, surveying economic feasibility of new projects, and regulating/administering waterways in India.

National Waterway No. 1 (NW-1)

Waterway comprising the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System connecting Haldia-Kolkata-Farakka-Munger-Patna-Varanasi-Allahabad, stretching over 1620 kms.

Length of NW-1

More than 1620 kms.

River System of NW-1

Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System.

Key Route Points of NW-1

Connects Haldia, Kolkata, Farakka, Munger, Patna, Varanasi, and Allahabad.

National Waterway No. 2 (NW-2)

Waterway along the Brahmaputra River connecting Dhubri-Pandu (Guwahati)-Tezpur-Neamati-Dibrugarh-Sadiya, stretching 891 kms.

Year of Declaration for NW-2

Declared a National Waterway in 1988.

Length of NW-2

About 891 kms.

River System of NW-2

Brahmaputra River.

National Waterway No. 3 (NW-3)

Waterway running from Kollam to Kottapuram, comprising 168 km of west coast canal along with Champakara canal and Udyogmandal canal.

Route Termini of NW-3

Runs from Kollam to Kottapuram.

Canals Comprising NW-3

West Coast Canal (168 km), Champakara canal, and Udyogmandal canal.

National Waterway No. 4 (NW-4)

Waterway connecting the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Regions Connected by NW-4

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

National Waterway No. 5 (NW-5)

Waterway comprising Talcher-Dhamra stretch of Brahmani river, Geonkhali-Charbatia stretch of East Coast Canal, Charbatia-Dhamra stretch of Matai river, and Mahanadi delta river system (585 km).

Length of NW-5

585 km.

River and Canal Systems of NW-5

River Brahmani, East Coast Canal, Matai river, and Mahanadi delta river system.

National Waterway No. 6 (NW-6)

A waterway between Lakhipur and Bhanga of the Barak River.

River System of NW-6

Barak River.

Length of Indian Coastline

7,517 kilometres.

Indian Port Breakdown

12 Major ports and 187 notified Minor and Intermediate ports.

Percentage of Freight Handled by Major Ports

Major ports handle over 80% of all cargo traffic in India.

Kolkata Port

A riverine port in West Bengal located on the bank of the Hooghly River.

Haldia Port

A port developed on the Hooghly River in West Bengal to relieve pressure on Kolkata Port.

Paradip Port

A port located on the coast of Odisha that handles iron ore and coal.

Vishakhapatnam Port

India's deepest landlocked port located in Andhra Pradesh, handling crude oil and petroleum products.

Chennai Port

The second largest port in terms of traffic volume handled and the oldest artificial harbour on the east coast of India, located in Tamil Nadu.

Tuticorin Port

A major port located on the east coast of India in Tamil Nadu.

Kandla Port

A Tidal port and free trade zone located at the eastern end of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

Mumbai Port

A natural harbour on the west coast in Maharashtra, serving as the biggest port of India.

Jawaharlal Nehru (Nava Sheva) Port

The biggest ultra-modern seaport off Mumbai, equipped with mechanised container berths for dry cargo and service berths.

Mormugao Port

A natural harbour situated at the entrance of the Zuari estuary in Goa, occupying fifth position in total traffic handled.

Port

Man-made commercial places built along the coastline primarily used for loading and unloading cargo ships, equipped with warehouses and transport links.

Harbour

Natural or created places connecting land with a large waterbody, surrounded by land on most sides with a sea entrance, utilized mainly for safe anchorage or parking of ships.