Question

Why was the views of forest department and villages different with respect to the definition of a good forest. Deforestation of India during colonial period was largely due to expansion of cultivation Railway and plantation. discuss.

Answer 1

Villagers in India traditionally had common access to forests to fulfil their needs for firewood, pasture and forest edibles. Their definition of a good forest was one which had a diversity of trees that could satisfy their needs and was also self sustaining.

The colonial British government, however, wanted to start commercial forestry in order to obtain timber for the construction of railway lines. Hence, for the British, the definition of a good forest was one that could be exploited for timber.

The British also wanted to destroy the natural forests of India to establish plantations. Hence, the two main causes of deforestation in British India were railways and plantation.