Living tree bridges that one finds in picturesque Meghalaya are called Jingkieng Deingjri meaning ‘bridge of the rubber tree’ in Khasi. Tree bridges are natural structures that are examples of bioengineering at its best.
Living root bridges are found in the West Jaintia Hills and East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. All Khasi villages are connected by a network of stone pathways known as the ‘King’s Way’. Throughout this network hundreds of living root bridges form the bridleways over the myriad water channels that criss-cross the area. But the most famous is the Umshiang double decker root bridge of Nongriat village in Sohra (Cherrapunjee). Another root bridge is located at Riwai village near Mawlynnong. The bridge at Wahthyllong village in the East Khasi Hills is the most beautiful of all the bridges and was featured in the Human Planet series of the BBC.
The locals do not know when or how the tradition of living root bridges started, although the development and upkeep of these bridges have been a community affair among Khasis from time immemorial. These bioengineering masterpieces were first alluded to in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal by Lieutenant H Yule in 1844, but soon after these wonders were forgotten till they were once again rediscovered by Denis P Rayen, a local resident of Sohra in 2006.
The bridge building tree
The Indian rubber tree (Ficus elastica) of Moraceae is native of the thick tropical rainforests of North East India. This particular species is also common in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rubber fig is a large, longlived, dicotyledonous tree, about 30-40m tall, and with a stout trunk up to 2m in diameter. The trunk develops adventitious aerial and buttressing roots to anchor the plant in the soil that help support its heavy branches.
この記事は Geography and You の May/June 2017 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は Geography and You の May/June 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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Covid-19: Politics Of Knowledge, Public Health And The World Order
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The Small Island developing states are particularly vulnerable to the peril of climate change. Sea level rise, increase in sea surface temperature, high incidences of drought and flood are some of the vulnerabilities that loom large over such island states.The republic of Maldives is one such example, which has been publicly advocating for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Despite being one of the least contributors to such emissions, the Maldives faces the highest impact of global warming. Being one of the lowest-lying island nations, it has been undertaking various steps to curb the egregious impacts of environmental catastrophes.One of the response measures taken by the Maldives is the construction of seawalls. This article discusses this, while accenting the drawbacks and benefits associated with the approach.
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RESPONSIVE URBAN PLANNING: COVID-19 A TURNING POINT FOR REAL CHANGE IN INDIAN CITIES
The global challenge of COVID-19 is still unfurling. States are grappling to control its remorseless spread with varied success and its impact both on long and short-term scales are still being understood. However, a distinct urban bias in its spread across the globe and universal response of lockdown and social distancing for its control has brought pertinent questions to the fore. Urban planning and the future of our cities in terms of urban life and city form therefore needs to be revisited. In India, the exodus of migrant workers from its large cities has added yet another dimension to this challenge.
PAUSE AND REBOOT
REFLECTIONS ON ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND POLITY DURING COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND LESSONS FOR INDIA
Migrants & borders: My wishlist in a post-Covid-19 world
Former Professor of Economics and Education, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. bkhadria@gmail.com.
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Experiences of students from the socially excluded groups in higher education in India
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