Water transport: inland waterways and major sea ports
Water transport is the cheapest way to move heavy, bulky goods. India uses rivers, canals and backwaters inland, and major sea ports on both coasts for trade.
Why water transport is useful
- It is the cheapest mode: apart from ports and upkeep, waterways need no building.
- It suits heavy and bulky goods: one ship can carry lakhs of tonnes at a time.
- It is the best way to move petroleum. India has few oil deposits and imports most of its oil, mainly from the Middle East.
- It is fuel-efficient and environment-friendly.
- Good inland waterways reduce traffic on highways.
- Its drawbacks: it is slow, and it needs navigable water and ports.
Inland waterways
- India has about 14,500 km of navigable inland waterways: rivers, canals, backwaters and narrow bays.
- Only about 3,700 km of river suits mechanised boats, on the Ganga and Brahmaputra in the north and the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri in the south.
- The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), set up in 1986, develops and manages them.
- Your NIOS lesson names the first three national waterways (NW 1, 2 and 3). Many more have been declared since.
The first three national waterways
| Waterway | Stretch | State(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| NW 1 | The Ganga, from Allahabad (Prayagraj) to Haldia | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal | 1,620 km |
| NW 2 | The Brahmaputra, from Sadiya to Dhubri | Assam | 891 km |
| NW 3 | The West Coast Canal, from Kollam to Kottapuram | Kerala | 205 km |
Coastal and international shipping
Major sea ports listed in the lesson
| Port | State | Coast | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kandla (now Deendayal Port) | Gujarat | West | At the head of the Gulf of Kachchh |
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | West | A large natural harbour |
| Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) | Maharashtra | West | Built near Mumbai to ease its load |
| Marmagao | Goa | West | Exports iron ore |
| New Mangalore | Karnataka | West | Karnataka's major port |
| Kochi | Kerala | West | A natural harbour at the entrance of a lagoon |
| Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) | Tamil Nadu | East | The southernmost major port |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu | East | One of the oldest ports, with a man-made harbour |
| Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | East | A deep, well-protected harbour |
| Paradip | Odisha | East | Near the Mahanadi delta |
| Kolkata | West Bengal | East | A river port on the Hooghly; now named Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port |
| Haldia | West Bengal | East | Built downstream of Kolkata to ease its load |
On the map
- Kandla: at the head of the Gulf of Kachchh in Gujarat; the north-westernmost major port.
- Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva): side by side on the Maharashtra coast.
- Marmagao: on the Goa coast, at the mouth of the Zuari river.
- New Mangalore: on the Karnataka coast; the only major port of Karnataka.
- Kochi: on the Kerala coast, at the entrance of the Vembanad lagoon.
- Tuticorin: on the south-east coast of Tamil Nadu, near the southern tip of India.
- Chennai: on the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu.
- Visakhapatnam: on the Andhra Pradesh coast, between the Godavari and Mahanadi deltas.
- Paradip: on the Odisha coast, near the mouth of the Mahanadi.
- Kolkata and Haldia: on the Hooghly in West Bengal; Haldia lies downstream, nearer the sea.
- NW 1, 2 and 3: the Ganga from Prayagraj to Haldia; the Brahmaputra from Sadiya (eastern Assam) to Dhubri (western Assam); the canal from Kollam to Kottapuram along the Kerala coast.
Most of the petrol and diesel used in India starts as crude oil shipped into ports. Tourist houseboats on Kerala's backwaters float on the same canal system as NW 3.
3 marks: “Give any three advantages of water transport for India.” (1) Cheapest mode, since waterways need little building. (2) Suits heavy, bulky goods; one ship carries lakhs of tonnes. (3) Best for importing petroleum. (4) Fuel-efficient and environment-friendly. (5) Reduces traffic on highways. Any three.
2 marks: “Name the first two national waterways of India with their end points.” NW 1: the Ganga from Allahabad (Prayagraj) to Haldia. NW 2: the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri.
4 marks: “On an outline map of India, mark and label these major ports: (i) Kandla (ii) Marmagao (iii) Paradip (iv) Tuticorin.” (i) Head of the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat. (ii) Goa coast. (iii) Odisha coast near the Mahanadi mouth. (iv) South-east coast of Tamil Nadu, near the southern tip.
West coast ports, north to south: Kind Mothers Just Make New Kheer (Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmagao, New Mangalore, Kochi).