The Ecological Consequences of the British Forest Policy in Darjeeling District

Abstract

The paper is an attempt to trace the ecological consequences of the colonial forest policy in the Darjeeling district. The British forest management system has negatively affected the social, economic, and cultural life of the indigenous people in the Darjeeling district and, mainly, the environment in this region. On the eve of British occupation, the Darjeeling district was covered with dense forest, and a fragile ecosystem existed. From the beginning of the British occupation, the Physio-cultural setup of the Darjeeling district has been largely disturbed. The rapid heedless deforestation, tea plantations, the construction of railways and roads, illogical slope cultivation, and unscientific and unplanned use of land have led to the degradation of the ecological balance of this region. As a result of the British forest policy, several natural disasters have been seen in the Darjeeling district, such as soil erosion, landslides, floods, and as well as the extinction of various flora and fauna.