how railways were responsible for decline in forest cover between 1880 and 1920
Answers
Spread of Railways led to the decline in forest cover on the Indian continent because wood from forests was needed
(i) as fuel to run locomotives.
(ii) to lay railway line sleepers, to hold the tracks together.
It has been estimated just one mile of railway track required about 2000 sleepers. By 1946 the length of railway tracks reached over 7, 65,000 km. As railways tracks increased the number of trees cut also increased. In Madras, Presidency alone, it is estimated 35,000 trees were cut annually to make sleepers.
(iii) Moreover the government gave out contracts to individuals, who driven by profit motive cut trees indiscriminately.
(iv) The first thing the logging contractor did was to build wide roads so that trucks could enter. These roads also ate into forest land.
(v) Thus as railway track, spread through India, larger number of trees were felled.