ROOT BRIDGE - ENVIRONMENT
News: Roots
connect a Meghalaya village
What's in the news?
● Hally War
was just 10 when an idea took root in his mind. Seeing his parent's daily
struggle to cross a river to reach their farm, little Hally decided to build a
bridge, nay a root bridge.
● Sixty
years later, his creation over Umkar
river in Siej village near Cherrapunjee, also known as Sohra, in the
undulating East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya has grown into a living marvel.
Key takeaways:
● As
is the traditional practice, he used the roots
of the rubber fig (Ficus elastica),
learning the techniques to mould and model the roots into a bridge with the
help of bamboo.
● It
took 30 years to make the bridge strong so that people could use it to cross
the river.
● The
main crop in the area is areca nut along with orange, lemon, lychee and some
medicinal plants. Rubber fig trees were originally planted by the elders in the
village to make bridges.
Living root bridges:
● Meghalaya
is known for its living root bridges, locally known as jingkieng jri.
● They
are on the tentative list of UNESCO’s
World Heritage sites. Many bridges across the State are over a century old.
● At
present, there are about 100 known
living root bridges grown over the period of 10 to 15 years across 72
villages of Meghalaya.
Significance:
● Sense
of oneness with nature.
● To
overcome natural calamities,
especially since Meghalaya is highly prone to floods due to the excessive
rainfall during the monsoon.
● Idea
and practice of sustainability,
keeping in mind the good of future generations.
● Highlights
the socio-cultural, social and botanical links among people and nature.