LIVING ROOT BRIDGE

  • February 3, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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LIVING ROOT BRIDGE

TOPIC: Environment

Context- 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 as the hill State marked its 50th year of creation.

  • Meghalaya has been celebrating its Statehood Day on January 21 since 1972.

Concept-

  • Living root bridges (also known as Jing Kieng Jri) are the aerial bridges that are built by weaving and manipulating the roots of the Indian rubber tree.
  • 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.
  • They have been serving as connectors for generations in the Indian state of Meghalaya.
  • A root bridge uses traditional tribal knowledge to train the roots of the Indian rubber tree (found in abundance in the area) to grow laterally across a stream bed resulting in a living bridge of roots.
  • It spans between 15 and 250 feet and is built over centuries.
  • They have also become world-famous tourist attractions. The two most popular tourist spots are-
    • Riwai Root Bridge
    • Umshiang Double Decker Bridge.
  • There are no records to suggest when the Khasi community started the living root bridge tradition, but ecologists say it highlights the symbiotic relationship between people and nature.
  • Over 70 living root bridges (LRBs) thrive in the state’s mountainous rainforests in one of the world’s wettest regions – evidence of an enduring relationship between a pollinator, seed dispersers and indigenous communities.

Properties of Living Roots Bridge- They have three main properties:

  1. They are elastic,
  2. The roots easily combine, and
  3. The plants grow in rough and rocky soils.

Ficus Trees-

  • Keystone role in nature.
  • They hold the ecosystem together and promote biodiversity around them.
  • They are hospitable to birds and bats (seed-dispersing animals) that feed on their fruits.
  • They stabilise the soil with their root system and prevent landslides.

Meghalaya government Draft Guidelines for Protection of Living Root Bridge

  • Underpinned by science-based approaches and community participation.
  • Zone-based conservation and a responsible development approach for regulating activities, including tourism. For example, the proposed Zone I suggests declaring at least approximately 30 meters from the core LRB structure as a protected area.
  • Determine the gene pool of both the trees and of the pollinators (eg. fig wasp pollinator).
  • Raise awareness levels among tourists and students about the root bridges.
  • The guidelines also emphasise forming Village Cooperative Societies for inclusion of all stakeholders, ensuring an equitable profit-sharing model, and nurturing sustainable livelihoods
  • Engage local communities in monitoring the biodiversity in the LRB ecosystem.
Environment LIVING ROOT BRIDGE