Assam-Bengal tourist harm Living Root Bridge

Ever growing number of tourists from Assam and Bengal have seriously damaged the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya forcing the nearby villagers  to come around and volunteer  themselves to repair the century old bridges, which receive average  1,20,000 tourists a year.

The Villagers in Nohwet village in the southern slopes of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on last weekend gathered near the root bridges and repaired the bridge, which has been growing since their forefathers.

The root bridge was gettingdamaged as tourists had lined it with large stones to help them cross iteasily. These stones were damaging the natural growth of bridge by slowlyputting stress on the roots.

Led by Village headman Bose SwellKhongthohrem , the other villagers came out in numbers and removed the slabs.

"In their place, dead wood fromjackfruit trees mixed with a light layer of soil was used which according tothe locals is a great source of nutrients for the roots," said the villageheadmen.

Areca nut trees were laid on topof this layer so that people could walk on the bridge without stepping directlyon the roots to prevent further damage. As part of the drive, residents alsoplanted several 'Ficus elastica' or rubber tree saplings, which would transforminto living root bridges over the years.

These living root bridges areconsidered a marvel of nature and a big attraction among tourists visiting thenortheastern state.

A living root bridge is formed byguiding the pliable roots across a stream or river, and then allowing the rootsto grow and strengthen over time until they can hold the weight of a humanbeing. The young roots are sometimes tied or twisted together, and are oftenencouraged to combine with one another via the process of inosculation.

As they are made from living,growing, organisms, the useful lifespan of any given living root bridge isvariable. It is thought that, under ideal conditions, a root bridge can lastfor many hundreds of years. As long as the tree from which it is formed remainshealthy, the bridge will naturally self-renew and self-strengthen as itscomponent roots grow thicker, the Wikepedia reports.

Often, locals using root bridgeswill make small alterations to them, manipulating young roots as theopportunity presents itself. Because of this, one can say that the developmentof a living root bridge is very much a social endeavor, and that the structuresare perpetual works in progress.

According to the Wikepedia,livingroot bridges are known to occur in the West Jaintia Hills district and EastKhasi Hills district. In the Jaintia Hills, examples of Living Root Bridges canbe found in and around the villages of Shnongpdeng, Nongbareh, Khonglah, Padu,Kudeng Thymmai and Kudeng Rim.

 In the East Khasi Hills, living root bridgesnearby Cherrapunji now called Sohra are known to exist in and around the villagesof Tynrong, Mynteng, Nongriat, Nongthymmai, and around Laitkynsew.

East of Sohra (Cherrapunjee), examples of living root bridges are known to exist in the Khatarshnong region, in and around the villages of Nongpriang, Sohkynduh, Rymmai, Mawshuit, and Kongthong. Many more can be found near Pynursla and around the village of Mawlynnong.

At over 50 meters in length, thelongest known example of a living root bridge is near the small Khasi town ofPynursla, India. It can be accessed from either of the villages of Mawkyrnot orRangthylliang.