Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Transport System in Karnataka from Class 9 Social_Science. Transport refers to the system of carrying persons and goods from one place to another. It is the life line in the progress of agriculture, industry and commerce. Karnataka is a land with varied natural resources. Minerals, commercial crops, forest products and sources of energy are available here. In order to achieve economic development through proper use of these resources, an efficient transport system is essential. Karnataka is primarily an agricultural state. Different means of transport facilities are necessary to transport food grains and other agricultural produce to the market, minerals from mines, manufactured goods from the factories, people from one place to another and for various other purposes. Karnataka has well-developed road, rail, water and air transport facilities. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us begin with road transport. A large number of people live in rural areas in Karnataka, so road transport occupies a very important role in linking the villages and towns. Roads can be constructed easily, at low cost. People and goods can be transported to every corner of the state. Development of roads determines the progress of the state’s agriculture, industry, mining and commerce. Road transport has been in use from ancient times in Karnataka. Kings and emperors constructed roads for the use of their soldiers and for administrative purposes. There were travel shelters where a place to rest, and water to drink were available, resting shelters, orchards and choultries. Roads to connect the coastal regions to the inland areas had been constructed. However, roads were not much developed in the pre-independence days in Karnataka. There were roads linking Bengaluru and the district centers in the old Mysuru province, but they were not well-organized. [CHECKPOINT]
After independence when the Vishala Mysuru State was formed in 1961, totally 43,182 kilometers of roads were laid. At present, the total length of the roads is 3,32,743.15 kilometers. Of which, 35.70 percent are metalled roads whereas 64.30 percent are unmetalled roads. There has been an improvement in the quality of roads constructed too. Roads in Karnataka have been classified into four kinds. They are National highways, State highways, District roads and Village roads. First, National highways. Roads which link important cities, capitals of states and ports are called National highways. These are well-planned wide roads and are two-lane, four-lane and six-lane roads. They are under the authority of the Central Government, and are managed by the National Highways Authority of India. At present, there are 14 national highways in Karnataka. Their total length is 7332 kilometers. [CHECKPOINT]
They have not been located equally among all the districts of the state. Uttara Kannada, Vijayapura, Belagavi, Shivamogga, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Dakshina Kannada and Ballari districts have more National highways. Raichur and Kodagu districts have no National highways. National highway-48 and NH-44 pass through Karnataka and come under the National Highway Authority’s Golden Quadrilateral Highway Project as well as Corridor Project. They have four, six and eight lanes. Try this: Make a list of the National highways that pass through your district and list the names of the taluks through which they pass. Second, State Highways. Roads which link the capital city of Bengaluru with district headquarters, major towns and other highways are called State Highways. The construction and maintenance of these roads rests with the State Government. Karnataka has 27,880 kilometers of state highways. Belagavi has the longest state highway whereas Bengaluru has the least. [CHECKPOINT]
Third, District Roads. Roads which link district headquarters with taluk headquarters, major towns, villages, railways and major highways are called District roads. The construction, maintenance and supervision of these roads is under the Zilla Panchayath. Karnataka state has 56,115 kilometers of district highways. Tumakuru district has maximum district highways, and Raichur has the least. Fourth, Rural roads. Roads which link taluk headquarters with village and district highways are called Rural roads. The construction and maintenance of these roads is under the taluk panchayat and village panchayat. Karnataka has 1,97,331.61 kilometers of village roads. In addition to the types of roads mentioned above, there are multi-purpose roads and roads under local administration. For instance, Roads of Public Works Department, Forest Department, Irrigation Department and Town Municipality and City Corporation. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us move on to Railways. In Karnataka, railway is the second most important mode of transport next to roadways. It helps in economical travel to distant places and transportation of goods. The first railway line in the state was opened for traffic in 1864. This was laid between Bengaluru and Madras by the Madras Railway Company. By the year 1956, the state had totally 2595 kilometers of railway track belonging to the Southern Railway Zone. Now, the South-Western Railways Zone has come into existence with its Head Quarters at Hubballi. Today, Karnataka has 3244 kilometers of railway track. In Karnataka state, there is no uniform distribution of railway tracks in all the districts. Bengaluru Urban, Ballari, Belagavi, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Chitradurga, Udupi, Ramnagar and Dakshina Kannada districts have an average of 150 to 200 kilometers long railway track. Kodagu district has no railway tracks. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us discuss the Konkan Railways. This is the most important railway route of the West Coast. It links Mangaluru and Mumbai, and has reduced the time for travelling from 41 hours to 18 hours. Its length is 273 kilometers with 13 main and 310 other bridges. Of these, Sharavathi river bridge measuring 2.2 kilometers is the longest bridge and Kali river bridge measuring 1.2 kilometers is an important bridge. Since this railway passes through many tunnels and across bridges, one can enjoy the natural beauty and scenery. Activity: Discuss your experience in road and railway journey. Come to conclusion which journey is better. How? Next, we will learn about Metro Rail. Bengaluru has grown tremendously as a metropolitan city. Transportation has become a major problem. [CHECKPOINT]
To overcome this problem, Namma Metro Rail Transport Plan is being implemented. On 20th October 2011, the first Metro rail between Byappanahalli and M.G.Road was started. Lakhs of people utilize this facility. Recently the metro rail is extended and links Whitefield to Challagatta and Madavara to Silk Institute. It takes much less time to travel from one place to another. Other Metro rail tracks are at different stages of completion. Now, let us turn to Air Transport. Air transport is the fastest mode of transport. It helps to carry people, mail and lightweight goods to distant places in the shortest time. Air transport is of great help during natural calamities, wars and other emergencies. However, it is the costliest mode of transport and not available to everyone. The first air travel facility began between Bengaluru and Hyderabad by Deccan Airways in the year 1946. [CHECKPOINT]
Indian Airways was nationalized in the year 1953. After Indian Airlines was established, Bengaluru was linked with various places all over the country. In the year 1996, the state airport of Bengaluru was declared as an International Airport. Mangaluru also has an international airport. Belagavi, Hubballi, Mysuru, Kalaburgi, Shivamogga, Bidar and Ballari, which is the Jindal Vijayanagara airport, and Mangaluru have domestic airports. New airports are being established in Hassan and Kalaburagi. The international airport which was in HAL was shifted to Devanahalli, about 34 kilometers away, on 24th May 2008. The HAL airport is now being utilized for the training of pilots. The Devanahalli International Airport is the country’s first green airport. This airport is well equipped to provide various facilities and is the most modern airport. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us study Water Transport. Karnataka has inland as well as sea waterways. Their availability is limited and so, not very significant in transport. Earlier, the inland waterways were confined to small rowing boats, dingies and rafts. At present, motor boats have come into existence. They are used in Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts. These districts have Kali, Sharavathi, Nethravathi, Gangavali, Haladi, Chakra, Kolluru, Udyavara rivers which help in inland water transport. Boats are used in some places to cross the Krishna river. With the development of road and railway transport, the use of water transport is limited. Let us look at Ports. The coastal places where ships are sheltered are called Ports. Ships are used for fishing, trade, passenger travel and transport of goods. In Karnataka, there are many small and large ports. [CHECKPOINT]
The Port Development Authority came into being in the year 1957, and there was an expansion in water transport. The New Mangaluru Port was declared the 9th major port of the country on 4th May 1974. It is called the Gateway of Karnataka. Through this port, iron ore, coffee, spices, cashew, sandalwood, tiles, chromide, granite stone and canned fruit and fish are exported. Petroleum is being imported. In addition to the Mangaluru port, thirteen smaller ports have been developed. These are Old Mangaluru Port, Malpe, Hangarakatte, Kundapura, Padubidri, Bhatkal, Honnavara, Tadri, Belekeri and Karwar. Of these, Karwar is the most beautiful port. It being an all-weather port, iron ore, manganese, granite and agricultural produces are exported through this port. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us carefully work through the exercises at the end of the chapter. Exercise One, Fill in the blanks with suitable words. Question one: Villages and towns are linked by road transport. Question two: The first Railway Line in Karnataka was established in the year 1864. Question three: The district with least number of district roads in Karnataka is Raichur. Question four: The port that is called the Gateway of Karnataka is New Mangaluru Port. Question five: The West Coastal Railway is called Konkan Railway. Next, Exercise Two, Answer the following questions in brief. Question six: Explain the importance of road transport. Answer: Road transport occupies a very important role in Karnataka because a large number of people live in rural areas. Roads link villages and towns, can be constructed easily at low cost, and transport people and goods to every corner of the state. The development of roads determines the progress of agriculture, industry, mining and commerce in the state. [CHECKPOINT]
Question seven: Name the different types of roads in Karnataka. Answer: The different types of roads are National highways, State highways, District roads, Rural roads, multi-purpose roads, and roads under local administration such as Public Works Department, Forest Department, Irrigation Department, Town Municipality and City Corporation roads. Question eight: What are the advantages of air transport? Answer: Air transport is the fastest mode of transport. It helps carry people, mail and lightweight goods to distant places in the shortest time. It is extremely helpful during natural calamities, wars and other emergencies. Question nine: Name the ports of Karnataka. Answer: The ports of Karnataka include the New Mangaluru Port, Old Mangaluru Port, Malpe, Hangarakatte, Kundapura, Padubidri, Bhatkal, Honnavara, Tadri, Belekeri and Karwar. Now, Exercise Three, Match the following. The correct matches are: Golden Quadrilateral matches with NH-44. Sharavathi Bridge matches with Konkan Railway. Nationalization of Air Transport matches with 1953. Konkan Railway matches with Mangaluru and Mumbai. Namma Metro matches with Bengaluru. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us move to the Activity and Projects section. For the Activity, mark and name the highways passing through Karnataka on a map. For the Projects, first, write a paragraph on your experience of railway journey. Second, write a note on your local transport system. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]