In Alappuzha district the road transportation system is fairly well developed with a rather good network of roads. The eight State Highways and the National Highway passing through the district ensures sufficient linkage with other areas. The district is connected with adjoining Ernakulam and Kollam districts by National Highway NH 47 and Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts by State Highways. The district is aligned on NH 47 and MC Road, the major corridors of transportation.

In Kottayam district M.C. road is the busiest road. National Highway 183 passes through Kottayam district. A number of State Highways serve the district. SH 9, SH 11, SH 14, SH 15, SH 32, SH 40, SH 42 and SH 44 passes through Kottayam.

Alappuzha is linked by rail to cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode etc and Mumbai, Bokaro, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkatta, New Delhi etc outside the state. The two railway lines in the district. Kayamkulam-Ernakulam (via Chengannur) of length 115 km and Kayamkulam-Ernakulam (via Alappuzha)-coastal railway of length 101 km provide sufficient accessibility by rail to the rest of the country. Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Chengannur, Cherthala, Mavelikara and Haripad are the major railway stations.

Rail network in Kottayam district comprises of 49 km of rail tracks. Changanasseri , Ettumanur,

Kottayam,Piravam and Vaikom are the railway stations available in the district Kottayam.

Waterways play an important role in the transportation system of the district. In certain water locked areas of the district, transportation of goods and passengers is possible only through boats and ferry services. The Kochi-Alappuzha section consisting of Vembanadu Lake extending from Kochi to Alappuzha along Cherthala and Ambalapuzha Taluks is the most important stretch of West Coast Canal System. The Kochi-Alappuzha section of the Canal system lies in Ambalapuzha and Karthikappally Taluks. Alappuzha was proposed to be connected with Changanassery by a canal along AC Road through Kuttanad. This district has a network of canals included in the west coast canal system which are used for navigationThe important canals in Alappuzha Town are Vadai Canal and Commercial Canal and the link canals between these two canals. Apart from these, there are many inland canals like Alappuzha – Ambalapuzha, Alappuzha–Changanassery, Alappuzha-Kottayam, Alppuzha-Thalavady, Alappuzha-West junction, Ambalapuzha-Purakkad, Kakkazham-Kayamkulam salt shell, Muhamma-Poochakkal canal etc. which are mainly used for passenger navigation and commercial purpose

The Canals in Kottayam district are Kottayam-Vaikom canal, Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha canal and AC Canal. The Kottayam-Vaikom canal passing through the Vembanad Lake is 28 km long. Starting from Kodimatha in the heart of Kottayam town, it touches Kanjiram, Illikkal, Thazhathangadi, Moolakatukunnu, Thiruvaataa, Kallumada, Pulikkuttisseri, Maniyamparambu and Cheepungal to enter Vembanad Lake. It reaches the final destination in Vaikom after crossing the Thannirmukkam Bund. Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha canal route consists of Kodimatha, Kanjiram, Illikkal, Thiruvaataa, Kallumada, Pulikkuttisseri,Pennarthodu, Mannanam and Athirampuzha Chavara Pilgrim Centre. It connects Mannanam and Kainikkara. Mannanam and Athirampuzha have boat jetties. Boat services were available until 10 years ago on Cheepunkal-Mannanam route. A Kainakkara-Mannanam boat service is also in the pipeline. AC canal starts at Manakkachira in Changanassery and stretches 16 km to end at Onnamkara in in Kuttanad. The stretch from Onnamkara to Pallathuruthi in Alappuzha is in ruins now. Boat service from Manakkachira to Kavalam or Alappuzha through Kidangara is a possibility. This will help frequent flooding in Kuttanad and provide better paddy cultivation. These areas were deepened and banks fortified under the Kuttanad Package. The canal from Onnamkara to Pallathuruthi has to be renovated and encroached area regained. Small bridges from Changanassery to Alappuzha should be reconstructed for smooth boat service.

Alappuzha district can boast of a good network of canals, rivers and backwaters. Many of these water bodies are perennial and navigable during all seasons. Passenger and goods traffic depended on water during the past. Alappuzha is linked by boat service through the backwater, rivers and canals to Kollam, Changanacherry, Kottayam, Kochi, Kumarakom, Kavalam, Chengannur etc. State Water Transport Department (SWTD) has the monopoly over passenger transportation by water. Alappuzha is the headquarters of SWTD

Alappuzha is a land marked between the broad Arabian Sea and a network of rivers flowing into it. Most of the land area of Alappuzha lies below the mean sea level. In terms of Physiography Alappuzha is divided into three features- Coastal plain. Flood plain and Plateau. (Fig 2) Major portion of Alappuzha is covered by flood plain, followed by coastal plain and a minor portion by Plateaus on the south eastern end. Kottayam on the other hand has five topographical features- Coastal plain, Denudational hills complex, Flood plain, Islands and Plateau, (Figure 3). The major segment of the district is covered by Plateaus followed by denudational hill complex as well as coastal plain.

Topography has influenced on the network and route planning as well as the selection of mode of transportation in both the districts. Road, Railway and Water transportation has been developed in both the districts. In case of Alappuzha road transportation has very much developed in almost all parts except a few portions on Central part where flood plain is dominated. The road network in Alappuzha district follows a grid iron pattern. Railways run across the plateau and coastal plains. The biggest share of National Waterway 3 runs through Alappuzha district. More over a greater concentration of ferries are also seen. (Figure 4)

Kottayam district ranks first in terms of state highways and other roads. The road here follows a mixed or organic pattern. Roads are well distributed all over the plateau region.Road concentration is comparatively less in denudational hill complex and in coastal plains. The road transportation distributiom is neligible in flood plains. Railway mainly passes though the plateau region. The distribution of waterways and ferries is limited in Kottayam as it shares only a small portion of flood plain.(Figure 2 & Figure 4).

Topography constraints and topographic features has impacts on the development of mode of transportation and its networks in Alappuzha and Kottayam. In case of road it can be developed in most unaccessible terrain too. That’s why road transportation is found in almost all geomorphic features in both districts. Road transportation is best developed in plain and plateau region where there are the least physical impediments. Hence, the major portion of Kottayam district is covered by plateau Kottayam stands first in terms of road density network in Kerala state. The road width also depends on topography of the land. Alappuzha is mostly covered by flood plain. Therfore the road width is comparatively less than other parts of the state.

The pattern of Indian railway network has been influenced by geographical factors. The presence of large rivers as well as backwaters makes it necessary to construct bridges which involve heavy expenditure. If we examine the railway line Alappuzha and Kottayam railway is constructed over plateau and coastal plains. (Fig Figure 2 & Figure 3). Railways are completely absent in hilly region where construction is a tedious task

The development of inland waterways also depends upon many geographical conditions. The rivers and canals should have a regular flow of sufficient water. The river should be silt fee as silting may cause the reduction of water depth. There should be sufficient demand for waterways to make it an economically viable mode of transportation. The diversion of river water for irrigation canals make rivers unsuitable for navigation. Figure 4 & Figure 5 represents the drainage and water transportation in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. Alappuzha district is covered by estuaries and backwaters namely Vettakkalachal, Vembanad, Poomeen, Vadakkal, Chethi, Arthungal, Pozhichal and a portion of Kayamkulam lake.Vembanad lake is the main backwater in Kottayam district. Vembanad Lake is the most important waterbody of the West Coast Canal System. It is the largest waterbody in the state. It spreads over a vast area stretching from Alappuzha to Kochi. Five rivers originating in the Western Ghats, Pampa, Achankovil, Manimala, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers drain into this waterbody in addition to the numerous canals and river branches draining to this. The wetland is fed by the rivers flowing into it, adding up to a vast and extensive drainage area. It is a complex aquatic system of 96 km long coastal backwaters, lagoons, marshes, mangroves and reclaimed lands, with intricate networks of natural channels and man-made canals. Therefore, inland waterways are well developed in Alappuzha with a large number of ferries, jetties, boat schedules etc. Moreover, the better part of National Waterway 3 passes through Alappuzha district.

Kottayam has network of rivers and canals, which empty into the great expanse of water called the Vembanad Lake. But it is comparatively lesser than that of Alappuzha district. Even though Meenachil Ar, Manimala river, Moovattupuzha river,a portion of Pampa river flows through Kottayam district especially in its plateau region, they are not used for navigation as navigable length is comparatively shorter as well as the due to the wide network of road transportation. A portion of National Waterway 3 passes through the flood plain region of Kottayam and there are only limited number of ferries

The case study of Alappuzha and Kottayam, with its combination of topographical features, highlights the two-way process of the relevance of taking topography into account in the planning of mode of transportation and its network distribution. The presence of topographical constraints like denudational hills and flood plain means that extending of road and rail transport system is expensive in both capital and operational terms, with trade-offs between the areas to serve becoming necessary in a budgetary and evaluation constrained environment