Why was forest dwellers livelihood affected by commercial forestry?

Correct answer: Because control and restrictions on forest use increased

The direct answer is option C: control and restrictions on forest use increased. Forest dwellers depended on forests for fuel, fodder, fruits, roots, bamboo, medicines, hunting, grazing, and small forest products. Under commercial forestry, colonial officials reserved many forests, marked boundaries, issued permits, stopped shifting cultivation, limited grazing, and punished collection or cutting. Therefore people could no longer use familiar forest resources freely, so their livelihood was affected. Option A is wrong because forest dwellers did not receive all forests; much forest land came under state control. Option B is wrong because forests did not become fully open; access became more restricted. Option C is correct because restrictions directly reduced access to livelihood resources. Option D is irrelevant and historically unrelated: the sea did not dry up. Remember: commercial forestry means forests managed for timber and revenue, usually with less community access.