Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 89.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the following factors in this decline: (i) Railways (iv) Commercial farming (ii) Shipbuilding (v) Tea / Coffee plantations (iii) Agricultural expansion (vi) Adivasis and other peasant users

Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 89.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the following factors in this decline: 

(i) Railways (iv) Commercial farming (ii) Shipbuilding (v) Tea / Coffee plantations (iii) Agricultural expansion (vi) Adivasis and other peasant users.

Ans.

(i) Railway : Railways were important for movement of imperial forces and commercial goods. Expansion of railways was one of the major causes of decline of forest area

(a) The trees were cut and used for making sleepers that were put on railway tracks.

(b) For one mile of railway track, nearly 500 trees were cut. This led to rapid deforestation

(ii) Shipbuilding : Shipbuilding industry of Britain was another cause of deforestation

(a) Oak forests of Europe were exhausted by the ship building industry.

(b) The Indian forests were targeted to provide hard and durable wood to build ships for the Royal Navy.

(c) This led to rapid deforestation in colonial India.

(iii) Agricultural Expansion : Agricultural expansion contributed to the depletion of forests in the following manner :

(a) The population of both India and Britain was increasing which led to rise in demand for agricultural products.

(b) Available land for agriculture being limited, agro-products could not match the demand.

(c) Forests were considered as useless and wasted land.

(d) Agriculture generated revenue and a source of commercial crop production.

(e) Forest were cut on large scale for promoting agriculture.

(iv) Commercial Farming : Forest areas of India were adversely affected by commercial farming in the following manner :

(a) This type of farming required fertile land.

(b) Fertility of available agricultural land had declined due to farming over the years

(c) Land after cutting the forest was more productive.

(d) This resulted in cutting forests for land-use in commercial farming.

(v) Tea / Coffee Plantations : Promotion of tea and coffee plantations led to deforestation as follows :

(a) Land revenue was the main source of income for the colonial power.

(b) To increase income from land, colonial government issued permits and allotted vast forest expanses to the European plantation owners.

(c) To develop these plantations, the forests were cleared.

(d) Forests were also cut to provide housing for many workers who worked in these plantations.

(vi) Adivasis and other peasant users : Adivasis and other peasant users were dependent on forest produce for their livelihood

(a) They were prohibited to use forest products.

(b) They lost their livelihood and forest wealth to the government.

(c) They resorted to dodging laws and dubious means.

(d) They bribed the forest guards and officials and felled trees for wood.

(e) They acquired land near the forest for agriculture and expanded it unofficially.

(f) These dubious ventures into the forests led to increased deforestation.