Deforestation :
The disappearance of forests is referred to as deforestation. The process of deforestation began many centuries ago in India. Under colonial rule it became more systematic and extensive.
Some of the causes of deforestation are given below
To Increase the land for Cultivation
As the population increased with time, the need for food increased. Thus, peasants increased the cultivation by clearing forests.
In colonial period, British encouraged the production of crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. These crops are required to feed the growing urban population of Europe and for raw material needed for industrial production. Colonial Government also thought that forest were unproductive. Between 1880 and 1920 forest disappeared to a great extent and cultivation area rose by 6.7 million hectares.
To Supply the Timber for Royal Navy
In 19th century, due to disappearance of oak trees in England, there was a problem of timber supply for the Royal Navy. Ships of Royal Navy could not be built without a regular supply of strong and durable timber.
To maintain the timber supply for Royal Navy, search parties were sent to explore the forest resources of India. Lot of trees in India were cut within a decade and huge quantity of timber was exported to England.
To Expand Railway Network
From 1850s, the railway network expanded rapidly. Wood was needed as a fuel to run rail engines (locomotives) and wooden sleepers were required to hold the track together.
The government gave out contracts to individuals to supply the required quantities of timber. These contractors began cutting trees indiscriminately. Forest around the railway tracks started disappearing at fast rate.
To Enclose Areas for Plantations
Large areas of natural forests were also cleared to set up tea, coffee and rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for these commodities. The Colonial Government took over the forests and gave vast areas to European planters at cheap rates. The planters enclosed these areas, cleared forests and planted it with tea and coffee.