"Jhum cultivation" in the north-eastern states of India has contributed to:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Deforestation
Option (3) Deforestation — Correct. In jhum cultivation (slash and burn), forest trees are cut and burnt, and the land is farmed for a while and then left. In north-east India this practice has added to deforestation.
Note: This question is from Chapter 16, Environmental Issues, of the pre-rationalised NCERT book. This chapter is not in the present NCERT book (2026-27). The extract below is from the pre-rationalised edition.
NCERT Extract (Pre-rationalised edition, Chapter 16, Environmental Issues):
Deforestation – “… A number of human activities contribute to it. One of the major reasons is the conversion of forest to agricultural land so as to feed the growing human population. Trees are axed for timber, firewood, cattle ranching and for several other purposes. Slash and burn agriculture, commonly called as Jhum cultivation in the north-eastern states of India, has also contributed to deforestation.”