question_answer 2)

If you were the Government of India in 1862 and responsible for supplying the railways with sleepers and fuel on such a large scale, what were the steps you would have taken?

Answer:

The Government of India should have taken the following steps   (i) In areas where trees are cut for making sleepers, plant similar nature of trees to those that are cut, so that the forest cover is maintained.   (ii) Try to increase coal mining and supply this to the railways as fuel instead of wood, for running the steam engines.   (iii) Limit the cutting of trees by the natives of the forest to only what they personally require and not allow them to trade in wood.   (iv) Prevent poachers from entering the forests to cut wood illegally.