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| root bridges NE India affairscloud.com |
In the 3rd week of March this year after a long struggle by the state government, the Living Root bridges of Meghalaya were included in UNESCO's tentative list for World Heritage Site. It is a good news for the environmentalists and 'Nature' lovers.
Chief Minister of that state Conrad K Sangma in his tweet posted on his social media accounts said, ''Delighted to share that ‘Jingkieng Jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya’ has been included in the @UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list; he further said,
''I congratulate all community members and stakeholders in this ongoing journey,”
There are roughly about 100 living Root Bridges (grown between 10 to 15 years across, 70 villages in Meghalaya highlighting the harmony between the man and the nature. North-east India has the highest vegetation cover in India and includes 18 biodiversity hotspots of the world, indicating the importance of the region in terms of its greenery, bio-diversity and climate-change sensitivity. The state of Meghalaya, often referred to as an ''abode of clouds'' has dense forests and and the root bridges are known to occur in the West and East Jaintia Hills districts. They evolved through sustained human interaction in unison with environment.
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| Song writer Chris Brown's note. eastmojo.com |
Above image: A post on Instagram by American singer and song writer Chris Brown
Lots of travelers visit the Jaintia hills to see the root bridges, however, the best and well-developed root bridges are present in Cherrapunji and Shillon. These places are known to receive the highest rain fall in the world. Recently the village of Mawsynram (81 km from Cherrapunji) in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya has taken over Cherrapunji and become the wettest place on earth. It receives 10000 mm of rain a year.
Last year, a National Convention on the root-bridges was held here where Scientists presented their works on unique species of orchids, amphibians, and mammals found on root-bridges in Meghalaya at a convention held last year.
Based on their research on 77 bridges over three expeditions in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya during 2015, 2016 and 2017, German scientists made a suggestion that that ''the bridges could be considered a reference point for future botanical architecture projects in urban contexts''.
In this fast-phased world, the world forums on environmental protection, biodiversity, etc., the topics have become more of a charade than of a serious matter. The symbiotic relationship between man and nature is on the decline for so many reasons. Giving a UNESCO World Heritage Site Tag to the Meghalaya's Jing kieng Jri, is a piece of good news. They are more often called the ''Living Root Bridge of Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya.'' Such a recognition by the world body will stand as an example to other countries and showcase them how to maintain right balance between economy and growth on one hand and ecology on the other through resilience and sensitivity. Surely Meghalaya's Jingkieng Jri serves as as a role model of human- environment symbiotic relationship.
The state government had worked hard for years to get the prestigious tag from the UNESCO. The National Convention on Community and Science based Conservation Research and Development of Jingkieng Jri and the state government collectively appealed to the world body for its recognition of the aerial roots of Meghalaya.
The living root bridges, an outcome of interaction between human and environment, support countless endangered flora and and fauna. Such brides are the result of human endeavor using nature's bounty and age-old traditional methods by the local tribal communities. The various specialists from the central government agencies particularly, zoological and botanical surveys visited this place and reported the presence of new fauna - orchids, amphibians, and mammals never reported anywhere in the country. The highlight is they support rich flora and fauna that are critically in danger.
Deep-rooted in the communities of this part of the state is the preservation of the ''sacred groves' known as 'Law Kyntang' and it has been around for a long time. It is this tradition-bound customary practice that makes the people conserve and respect aerial root bridges in the forests. It is this nature that gives us every thing to get our life going - food to medicine to clean air free from particulates for healthy living. As for the bridges it is a low-cost and sustainable way to get connected with remote mountain villages scattered across the steep terrain intersected by turbulent streams and flash flooding.
Invariably many villages in Meghalaya, lack formal sanitation infrastructure, however they never fail to safeguard their surrounding. This state is called God's own garden. Here the Khasi's respect for nature comes into play. Waste collected in bamboo receptacles located all over the village, is then recycled into fertilizer and used for agriculture, their primary occupation. Plastics are repurposed, and villagers sweep lanes and public spaces daily.
Taking the cue from this Mawlynnong the cleanest village in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the community as a model for the rest of the country.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8274938273148772169/877168849904442190
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/living-root-bridges-clean-village-mwalynnong-india
