Explain all the three features of forest act of 1878
Answers
(a) The Forest Act of 1878 divided forests into (i) reserved (ii) protected and (iii) village forests.
(b) The best forests were called reserved forests.
Villagers could not take anything from these forests even for their personal use. They could take wood for building their house or for fuel from protected or village forests.
Answer: Beginning of systematic Forest policy started during the time of Lord dalhousie. for the first time Lord Dalhousie issued a memorandum in 1855 on Forest conservation called the character of Indian Forest . he suggested that the timber should be retained as state property and it should strictly be regulated . The first act for regulation was passed in 1865 then was replaced by more comprehensive Indian Forest act of 1878 .
this was the second step in the direction of further Extension of states authority over forests. accordingly
forest were now divided into reserved, protected and village forests . several restrictions were imposed upon the People's right over the forest lands and produce in the protected and reserve forest the act also empowered the government to Levy duty on timber produce in british India about from any place beyond the frontier of british India . that thus encouraged The authority to earn revenue from forests.
for the british the forest were the treasure groves and in one stroke of the executive pen the colonial administration took over the vast forests in the name of the people .
the guardians of the forest then set out to exploit its natural wealth ,the forest began to be felled and the timber hauled to the distant market.
Explanation: