What are the problems of road transport in mountainous, desert and flood prone regions?
In mountainous regions, roads are frequently obstructed due to landslides, avalanches, or heavy snowfall. These natural disruptions make routes impassable and unreliable for regular transport.
In desert regions, the inhospitable terrain creates significant friction for road transport. The harsh conditions make road construction and maintenance extremely difficult.
In flood-prone regions, unmetalled roads become unmotorable during the rainy season. Even metalled roads are seriously handicapped during heavy rains and floods, rendering them ineffective and not serviceable for all seasons.
Explanation
The textbook context specifically mentions that in the Himalayan region (mountainous), routes are obstructed due to landslides, avalanches, or heavy snowfall. For deserts, it refers to 'inhospitable desert terrains' creating friction. For flood-prone areas, the text clearly states that unmetalled roads become unmotorable during rainy season and even metalled ones are seriously handicapped during heavy rains and floods. This is a 3-mark short answer question requiring specific problems from each region type.