Chapter 7
Human Environment
(Settlement, Transport and Communication)
We have read in the earlier chapter about environment which
consists of both natural and man - made environment. In this chapter, we will study about specific
aspects of human environment related to settlements, transportation and
communication. te SETTLEMENT Settlement
means a cluster or group of houses.
Settlement is the primary residence of human society. In ancient times, human beings led a life of
food - gatherers and moved from one place to another in search of food. They did not have a permanent settlement and
hence, lived a nomadic life. They were
completely dependent on the environment to satisfy their basic needs of food,
shelter and clothing. Thus, their
settlements were temporary in the post stone age, human beings learnt the art
of agriculture and farming. Gradually,
the concept of settled life came into being the shelters were built near the
areas where land could be cultivated for temporary stay, the settlements were
made with the help of branches of trees and were covered with leaves. After the stone age, settlements were
occupied seasonally. Now, human beings
started settlement after stone age changing their settlements with the change
of season. In those areas where climatic
conditions were suitable, the number of settlements were more and
clustered. The discoveries of fire, iron
and wheel were big roller sledge sledge on roller steps towards
civilisation. The tools became more
sophisticated and farmers started cultivating crops near the river banks like
Nile or Indus Valley. With sledge on
roller joined sledge joined grooved roller the passage of time, human beings learnt
new ways to sledge to axle of farming.
Now, they started living a settled life as crops required constant care
throughout the cropping stages of the invention of Wheel period. They were not required to wander in search of
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food and could afford to settle down at one place. Hence, building of permanent shelters,
domesticatio of animals and use of clothes made of fiber became a part of human
life. With the advancement of science
and technology, human beings have been able to modify the natural environment
as per their needs. Now, the settlements
protect the human beings from hars temperature, chilly winds, rough terrain and
also give them privacy. With the
expansion of agricultural activities, domestication of animals, mining and
industrialisation the natural environment has been adversely affected. The growth of towns and cities as well as
industrialization has shrunk the green belt area, pollution as well as
defective methods of plowing have resulted in ecological imbalance which is a
matter of great concern to all of us.
Factors responsible for Permanent Settlement Availability of water: If
we go through the history, most of the civilisations developed near river
valleys, e.g. the Indus Valley
Civilization. Even today, water is an
important resource for the growth of villages and towns. In desert areas as well, the houses are
clustered around the source of water.
This source may be a well, a pond or an oasis. The settlements that grow around a source of
water are known as wet point settlements.
Relief features: They play an important role in the development of a
settlement. Plains are favourable
locations for the establishment of settlements.
It is easy to have a good transport network here which makes it possible
for the people to move easily from one place to another. In India many towns and cities have developed
in northern plains. In these areas,
settlements are more compact. On the
other hand, in highland areas, where the nature of land restricts easy
movements, the population is less. It
results in a few and dispersed settlements Special sites: Some sites are chosen
for the settlements Settlement in Plains because of their natural beauty. These are called tourism - based towns. They provide employment to many people. In India, Srinagar, Goa, Shimla, Nainital,
Ooty, etc. , are some of such
sites. All the factors you just read are
related to one another. When we are
looking at land as a determining factor for a settlement, water cannot be
ignored. Like, the culture, the social
set - up and other environmental aspects are also important factors. TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION TRANSPORTATION is
the act of moving people or goods from one place to another. In the pre - historic times, people normally
traveled on foot. They used to transport
goods by carrying them 50
on their back or head.
With the invention of wheel came the bullock carts. With the development of science and
technology, the transport and communication facilities have grown rapidly, the
role of transport is of utmost importance for the development of a country. The pace of development depends upon the
level of infrastructural and transport facilities. A good transport network helps the people to
move from one place to another which also influences the social
development. There is a great impact of
transport on the economic development of a place. We know that transport system connects cities
and towns with one another. It can help
the people to send the surplus production to different markets and in return
help the country in its economic growth.
One of the reasons for the backwardness of some regions of the world,
such as Zaire basin and Tundra region, is the lack of transport
facilities. On the other hand, some
regions like Indo - Gangetic plains of India and industrial region of Europe
are very well - developed due to proper transport facilities. Transport network also helps to open - up
remote areas or inaccessible areas to the world. Transportation is very helpful for the
industrialization of a place. Raw
materials can be easily transported from the mining areas or farms to
factories. Modes of Transportation There
are five main modes of transportation: • Roadways • Railways • Waterways •
Airways • Pipelines Roadways: It is used for the movement of passengers and
goods for shorter distances. Roadways is
the swift and efficient means of transportation which provides door to door
services. Roads help in the
transportation of perishable items, like fruits and vegetables, to distant
markets with a speedy movement.
Construction and maintenance of roads is cheaper as compared to other
means of transport. In hilly areas, road
transport plays Roadways a very important role, as other means of transport are
either not possible or are very expensive.
A well - developed road transport system reduces the social, political
and economic distances among the people of different cultural backgrounds. Railways: It is virtually called the
'lifeline of a country'. It is used for
the movement of bulky goods and large number of passengers for Do You
Know? longer distances. It brings people closer from the largest
railway line in the world is the farthest corners of the country. As the long Trans - Siberian railways that
links distances are difficult to travel by road, railways st. Petersberg to Vladivostok in Russia. provide the most comfortable and less
expensive 51
means of transport.
Earlier, trains were run with coal engines but now they are run by
diesel and electrical engines. The
electrification of railways has resulted in reduced pollution and has helped in
carrying larger number of passengers from one place to another. With the advancement of technology fast
moving trains, e.g. Rajdhani, Shatabdi,
etc. have been introduced. Also, for the local movement of people over
shorter distances, railways, such as metro in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Railways
Bengaluru, Jaipur and Chennai are very popular waterways: it is the cheapest
mode of transportation for heavy and bulky goods. Waterways are very beneficial for those
countries which are located near the river banks, navigable canals or the
coasts. Now a days, large and mechanized
ships are equipped with all modern facilities.
They can transport hundreds of passengers and vast amount of goods from
one country to another. That is why,
they are known as the floating towns.
Waterways Airways: It is the latest and fastest means of transport but
relatively expensive. Airways has, in a
way, reduced distances and converted the world into one unit. This means of transport is highly suitable
for those areas where railways and roadways cannot be constructed by airways
because of difficult terrain. Pipelines:
It is the most recent mode of transport.
The pipelines are used for the transportation of liquid and gaseous
materials like mineral oil, water and natural gas. Solids in slurry form (iron - ore, rock
phosphate) are also transported from one place to another, over long distances,
e.g. HBJ (Hazira, Bijaipur, Jagdishpur)
gas pipeline. This natural gas pipeline
runs through four states of India - Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Uttar Pradesh. A Pipeline 52
Communication
Cellphone Communication means exchange of ideas and views from CD one person to
another. It can be at personal as well
as at mass level. Communication networks
have become very important for exchanging knowledge and ideas which, in turn,
contribute to the economic development.
It also helps in developing social relationship and unity. During natural calamities, like floods,
drought, etc. , the means of instant pen
drive communication (such as TV and radio) flash news, so that relief can be
rushed to the spot immediately.
Communication devices In olden times pigeons were used to send messages
to different places. Then the services
like pos and telegraph, newspapers, magazines, radio, televison, telephone,
etc. , were developed. Today satellite is the most powerful medium
of communication in the world. It
provides television services even in the remote areas of the country. Computer is yet another grea invention by the
man. It has revolutionized the proces of
communication through e - mail, internet, CDs, per drive, laptop, palmtop,
etc. We can get any information about
the entire world while sitting at home and usin computers computers. Keywords compact settlements: large number of
houses are built very close to each other.
Generally, the communitie are closely knit and share common
occupations. dispersed settlements:
houses are spaced far apart and often interspersed with fields. internet: electronic digital world for communicating
information over computer networks withou physical movement of the sender or
reciever. metropolitan city: an urban
settlement which has a population of more than one million town: an urban
settlement where majority of people are engaged in secondary activities, such a
manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail and some other professional
services. 53
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