Question

Assertion (A): Waterways are the cheapest mode of transport, especially for long-distance cargo transport.

Reason (R): India has several canals, backwaters, and rivers, which are safely navigable.

विकल्प

• Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

• Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

• (A) is true, but (R) is false.

• (A) is false, but (R) is true.

Answer 1

Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Explanation:

The assertion is true because waterways require minimal infrastructure construction and consume less energy per ton-kilometer, making them the most economical option for heavy, bulky cargo. The reason is also true regarding India's navigable water bodies, but the low cost of water transport is an inherent physical and economic property of buoyancy and mass shipping, not because India specifically possesses these water bodies.