TURA: The West Garo Hills district administration is contemplating to promote the unique indigenous living architectural root bridge in Garo Hills region, many of which exist in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
The matter was discussed at a meeting in Tura on Friday convened by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh with the members of the Living Bridge Foundation and other government departments. Singh highlighted that Garo Hills also has the potential to build root bridges and that a few places are maintaining simple bamboo bridges to cross the river at various places.
With proper guidance and support, similar unique living root bridges can be made here with the help of the Living Bridge Foundation, Shillong, he added.
He said planting Ficus trees along the streams, rivers for the formation of root bridges in the area would not only add tourist attraction but will also prevent soil erosion and help to preserve the ecosystem as well as to retain water and preserve the catchment area.
With this objective, the members of the Living Bridge Foundation have been invited to discuss, identify and plan for future course of action, he added.
In his power point presentation, the chairman and founder of the Living Bridge Foundation, Morningstar Khongthaw emphasised on the living architecture ecosystem which is an area where Ficus grows and plays a very important role in maintaining the ecology of the surrounding area.
He informed that living root bridges are a kind of architecture designed by Khasi and Jaintia community using the root of the Ficus tree in the form of bridge to cross the river.
Highlighting the importance of these architectures, he said that these living structures are rural based connectivity which can be used under extreme climatic condition to involve community and to support other plants and animals of the surrounding area as well as a means to provide opportunity for sustainable eco tourism in the region.
In order to begin the long term project, the members of Living Bridge Foundation, Shillong in collaboration with the district administration would build a sky walk with flat forms at DC Park, Tura and then would expand to other identified locations in and around the district.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner also felicitated Ajit Sangma and Samson T Sangma for maintaining traditional bamboo bridges at Pelga Falls, near Tura.
A visit to Ringgigre Village under Rongram Block was also undertaken by the team members where they interacted with community members regarding conservation of trees and promoting roots and construction of living root bridges through natural entwining of roots. A potential location for promoting of living bridge formation was also identified during the visit.
