Understanding Indian Rivers as Natural Highways

The passage highlights the significant role of Indian rivers in the country's geography and economy. It describes them as essential natural assets that water the land, making it fertile. Crucially, the text refers to rivers acting as natural highways.

Why Rivers Are Called Natural Highways

The question asks specifically why rivers are termed natural highways. The provided text offers a direct explanation for this comparison:

"The most eye-catching variety of these rivers is that there are navigable rivers... they even flow as natural highways linking the towns with the villages."

This sentence clearly states that rivers function as natural highways because they facilitate connection and transportation, specifically by linking towns and villages.

Analysis of Options

Let's examine each option in light of the text:

• Option 1: Because they link the towns and villages

  This option directly aligns with the explanation given in the passage. Rivers, especially navigable ones, serve as routes that connect different settlements, much like man-made highways connect places. Therefore, calling them natural highways is justified by their function in linking towns and villages.

• Option 2: Because they avoid overflow and flood

  The passage mentions that "Some huge rivers sometimes burst their banks and flood the countryside." This indicates that rivers do not always avoid overflow and floods; in fact, floods are a known characteristic of some rivers. This reason does not explain why they are called natural highways.

• Option 3: Because national highways are built alongside their banks

  The provided text does not mention the construction of national highways alongside river banks. The comparison is about the rivers themselves serving as highways, not about parallel man-made infrastructure.

• Option 4: Because they enrich the beauty of Bengal and Kerala

  While the passage notes that rivers contribute to the "heavenly beauty of India" and specifically mentions navigable rivers in "Bengal and Kerala," this refers to their aesthetic and regional significance. It does not explain their function or classification as natural highways, which relates to connectivity.

Conclusion

Based on the direct statement in the text, rivers are referred to as natural highways because of their ability to serve as routes for linking the towns with the villages.