The Buckingham Canal, which has been declared a National Waterway of India, is a canal running between which of the following stretches?

Introduction / Context:
India has an extensive network of inland waterways, some of which have been declared National Waterways to promote navigation, trade and tourism. The Buckingham Canal is one such important canal system along the eastern coast. General knowledge questions often ask candidates to match specific canals or waterways with the regions or terminal points they connect. Knowing these routes helps in understanding regional geography, transport infrastructure and inland water transport development in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the Buckingham Canal in India.
• We are told it has been declared a National Waterway.
• The options list four different regional stretches.
• We need to identify the stretch that correctly describes the route of the Buckingham Canal.

Concept / Approach:
The Buckingham Canal runs roughly parallel to the Coromandel Coast, linking parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It connects Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh with Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, passing near major coastal cities such as Chennai. It was historically used for navigation and transport of goods, and more recently has been considered for revival as a National Waterway. The other option pairs in the question refer to regions associated with different transport corridors and do not describe the Buckingham Canal. Therefore, the correct approach is to recall that this canal lies along the east coast, not in Punjab, Haryana, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi or Kozhikode.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Buckingham Canal is an east coast waterway associated with Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.Step 2: Eliminate option A because Punjab and Haryana lie in northern India and are not linked by this canal.Step 3: Eliminate option B because Mumbai and Goa lie along the western coast of India.Step 4: Eliminate option D because Kochi and Kozhikode are coastal cities in Kerala on the Arabian Sea, not on the Coromandel Coast, and identify option C, Vijayawada to Villupuram, as the correct stretch.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way to verify your choice is to visualise the approximate map of India and trace known inland waterways. National Waterway 4, for example, includes sections of the Kakinada Puducherry stretch along canals and rivers on the east coast. The Buckingham Canal forms a part of this system and lies broadly between coastal Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu. This mental map is consistent with the description Vijayawada to Villupuram, reinforcing that option C is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because the Buckingham Canal does not operate between Punjab and Haryana, which are landlocked northern states. Option B is incorrect because Mumbai to Goa suggests a western coastal route, often associated with Konkan railways or coastal shipping, not this canal. Option D is wrong because Kochi to Kozhikode refers to coastal Kerala on the Arabian Sea, while Buckingham Canal lies on the Bay of Bengal side. Only option C accurately reflects the east coast alignment of the Buckingham Canal between Vijayawada and Villupuram.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select a coastal pair at random without remembering which coast each city lies on. Another pitfall is confusing different National Waterways and canals, such as mixing up the Ganga based waterways with coastal canals. To avoid such confusion, it helps to group waterways by region in your notes, for example east coast canals, west coast backwaters and inland river systems, and to revise the associated terminal points regularly.

Final Answer:
The Buckingham Canal is a National Waterway that runs between Vijayawada and Villupuram along the eastern coast of India.