Question

National Waterway 1 is navigable between which of the following places?
A.Sadiya and Dhubri
B.Allahabad and Haldia
C.Udyogamandal and Champakkara
D.Kottapuram and Komman

Answer 1

Hint: India is blessed with a vast network of waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks and a long coastline accessible through the seas and oceans. Thus water transportation is extensively used in India to carry heavy goods from one place to another and plays a key role in the country’s economy. The country has 14500 km of inland waterways which the Inland Waterways Authority of India has divided into 111 National Waterways. Further, 106 new National Waterways were proposed in the National Waterways Act of 2016.

Complete step by step solution:
Option A: is incorrect. The stretch of Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri in Assam is designated as National Waterways number 2.
Option B: is correct. The stretch of Ganga Bhagirathi and Hooghly rivers between Allahabad and Haldia is designated as National Waterways number 1. It passes through four states—Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Option C: is incorrect. The stretch between Kollam and Kozhikode (also called the canals of Champakkara and Udyogamandal) is called National Waterways number 3. It is located in Kerala.
Option D: is incorrect. The stretch between Kottapuram to Komman is also covered in National Waterways number 3.

Note: Not only is transportation by waterways cheap but it also reduces carbon footprint which is generated by excessive use of land and rail transportation. To utilise its long 7517 km of coastline, India has one of the largest fleets of merchant shipping ranking 19th in the world. However, coastal shipping has also substantially decreased over the years.