“Jute industry is concentrated in the Hugli basin’. Validate the statement with three suitable reasons.

Various factors responsible for the concentration of the jute industry in the Hugli basin are –

1. The proximity of jute producing areas is a major factor along with the availability of inexpensive water transport.

2. A good network of railways, roadways, and waterways for facilitating movement of raw material to the mills and abundance of water for processing raw jute are equally responsible for the jute industry in Hugli Basin.

3. Availability of cheap labour from West Bengal and adjoining states of Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh contribute to the easy processing of raw materials and further activities. Additionally, Kolkata as a large urban centre provides banking, insurance, and port facilities for export of jute goods.

NOTE – The jute industry in India supports 2.61 lakh workers directly and another 40 lakh small and marginal farmers who engage in the cultivation of jute and mesta along with many others who are associated with this industry indirectly.