Question

The spread of railways from the 1850s created which new demands on the Indian forests and how were they met ? Explain.

Answer 1

Demand for wood

Explanation:

The British Imperialists spread railways to improve their trade and help with the movement of their troops. The increased railway network created heavy demand for wood. Wood was required as fuel for the railways, to lay the track and for the sleepers. So this increased demand for wood resulted in indiscriminate felling of trees in the 1850s. The Madras presidency alone cut 35,000 trees annually for sleepers.