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Living Root Bridges - Close to Shillong where I spent my Teenage Years
Ref: Wikipedia June 27, 2019 The roots of invention Living root bridges like this can be found in the tropical rainforests of Meghalaya, a state in northeast India that is among the wettest places on Earth. The gentle waterways that flow through the region’s valleys become gushing torrents during the summer monsoon season and will wash away traditional bamboo bridges. So, generations of indigenous Khasi people have devised a way of building root bridges by shaping living trees, like this one near the village of Mawsynram. It works like this: Rubber fig trees are planted or located on opposite riverbanks. As the trees' above-ground roots grow, the Khasi will guide them across the water, sometimes with the support of temporary scaffolding like bamboo. After years of tending, the roots will eventually join and take hold of each other, forming a living suspension bridge that provides safe passage over the swollen river. The innovation has proved critical to the Khasi people. In ...
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