How Meghalaya’s Brilliant Living Root Bridges Are Solving Access Issues in Flood-Prone Regions

In the heart of Meghalaya lies a time-tested model architectured by nature itself.

These are the living root bridges.

Here’s how the bridge comes into existence:

Two rubber trees (Ficus elastica) are planted on either side of a river.

As the tree grows, its secondary aerial roots begin to appear. These form the foundation of the bridge.

These roots are pushed across the river by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes to form a bridge.

The bridge is supported by bamboo scaffolding which is changed routinely so that it does not become suscept to humidity and moisture.

With time, the roots thicken and intertwine with those of the trees on the other side.

The bridges, which rise to over 50 to 100 feet in the air, form a perfect passage over the overflowing rivers.

The state’s longest-living root bridge is said to be 175 feet in length.

The bridge isn’t just celebrated for its architectural brilliance but also as a symbol of cultural unity, as the entire community comes together to build the bridge.

They are also significant from an ecological standpoint.

Bark deer and clouded leopards are known to utilise root bridges to cross gaps in the forest.