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What were the causes for deforestation in India during British rule?

(i) In the colonial period, cultivation expanded rapidly for various reasons. First the British encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. The demand for these crops increased in the 19th century and forests were cleared to meet the food grains and raw materials needed for industrial growth in Europe.

(ii) The spread of railways from 1850 created a new demand. To run locomotives, wood was needed as fuel and to lay railway lines sleepers were necessary to hold the tracks together. The government gave out contracts to individuals and the contractors began cutting the trees rapidly. Forests around the tracks disappeared.

(iii) Large areas of natural forests were cleared for tea, coffee and rubber plantations. Forests were cleared for them

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The main causes of deforestation in India during the British period was the pressure of British government to groe commercial crops like jute,sugar etc. which were required to meet the industrial requirements in Britain.

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  • Deforestation in the second phase of colonialism (1850 onwards) was due to the increasing number of railways being built in India. Special trees were needed in order to build the ties on the railways and to use as fuel for the trains. Some trees used included, Sal in East India, Teak in South India, Cedar trees in North India, and for firewood, Jhand was used from Punjab. Using all these trees for the railways led to deforestation which led to the timber crisis in India. However, in return the British government did set up the Imperial Forest Department in 1864 to restore all the trees that would have disappeared if action was not taken.
  • The main causes of deforestation in India during the British period was the pressure of British government to groe commercial crops like jute,sugar etc. which were required to meet the industrial requirements in Britain.
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