In News
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has underlined some green rules for the living root bridges of Meghalaya to get the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag.
- faunal diversity and the preparation of health cards would be the prerequisites for Meghalaya’s living root bridges to earn the UNESCO tag.
About
- Meghalaya houses single to double-decker living root bridges.
- Such a bridge is locally called jingkieng jri.
- They are created by human beings.
- A living root bridge is like a suspension bridge formed by guiding the pliable roots of the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica) across a stream or river and allowing the roots to grow and strengthen over time.
- Although the Living Root bridge takes around 10 to 15 years to take its shape, it can last up to 500 years.
- They are a symbol of Meghalaya’s heritage
Importance:
- They can be considered as a reference point for future botanical architecture projects in urban contexts.
- They are among the major points of attraction in Meghalaya and also home varieties of flora and fauna.
- They are ever-evolving and have the potential to hold 50 or more people in one go.
- Found mostly over streams running through the forests, these are grown by trained Khasi and Jaintia tribes.
Source:TH
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