Question

Give reasons for the following.

South Indian rivers are not ideal for inland water transport.

Answer 1

South Indian rivers are not ideal for inland water transport because:

1. They are non-perennial and seasonal in nature, depending entirely on monsoon rains and drying up significantly during summer.
2. They flow swiftly over a rugged plateau terrain with steep gradients, creating rapid currents that hamper steady navigation.
3. They form numerous waterfalls and rapids along their rocky courses, creating permanent physical barriers for transport vessels.
4. Their water is heavily diverted for agricultural irrigation and multi-purpose dam projects, which drastically drops downstream water levels.
5. They suffer from insufficient water depth and severe siltation, resulting in shallow riverbeds and shifting sandbars.
6. The underlying hard, rocky geological structure of peninsular India makes it highly difficult to artificially excavate, widen, or deepen the river channels.