Meghalaya event endorses living root bridges for Unesco world heritage tag
This event marked progress towards preserving and potentially nominating Meghalaya's living root bridges for Unesco world heritage status.
The initiative, as highlighted by principal secretary of forest & environment dept, Sampath Kumar, was conceptualised by CM Conrad Sangma, who pledged dedicated funding and showed keen interest in drawing Unesco's attention to these unique structures.
Kumar mentioned ongoing research activities examining the bridges, with governmental bodies actively collaborating with local communities to advance the initiative.
Junhi Han, chief of the culture unit at Unesco South Asia Regional Office in New Delhi, expressed appreciation to the Meghalaya govt for enabling the study of these bioengineered structures. She characterised the living root bridges as "extraordinary examples of harmony between nature and humanity" and praised the state's efforts in promoting these natural formations, "which are not products of industrial machinery but the result of indigenous knowledge and skills passed down through generations".
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She emphasised the necessity of heritage preservation and youth education.
Padma Shri recipient and former UPSC chairman David R Syiemlieh participated in the discussion 'Guiding the Preparation of World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Living Root Bridges' and shared his insights.
The academic highlighted these bridges' crucial function for local inhabitants, particularly for crossing rivers.
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