The Cellar - Aug 31, 2009: Bridges of Cherrapungee County

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- - Aug 31, 2009: Bridges of Cherrapungee County (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=20945)

Aug 31, 2009: Bridges of Cherrapungee County

Well, Cherrapungee District I guess, deep in the heart of northeast India.

Quote:

The southern Khasi and Jaintia hills are humid and warm, crisscrossed by swift-flowing rivers and mountain streams. On the slopes of these hills, a species of Indian rubber tree with an incredibly strong root system thrives and flourishes. The Ficus elastica produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves.

The War-Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area's many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges. In order to make a rubber tree's roots grow in the right direction - say, over a river - the Khasis use betel nut trunks, sliced down the middle and hollowed out, to create root-guidance systems. The thin, tender roots of the rubber tree, prevented from fanning out by the betel nut trunks, grow straight out. When they reach the other side of the river, they're allowed to take root in the soil. Given enough time, a sturdy, living bridge is produced.

http://cellar.org/2009/rootbridge1.jpg

Quote:

The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they're extraordinarily strong - strong enough that some of them can support the weight of fifty or more people at a time. In fact, because they are alive and still growing, the bridges actually gain strength over time - and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunjee may be well over five hundred years old.

http://cellar.org/2009/rootbridge2.jpg

In more recent times, it's much easier to throw up a steel bridge that you don't have to wait 10 or 15 years to use. But the management of Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort sees the bridges as a major tourist attraction, and convinced the locals to not only protect the existing bridges but start new ones.
Money talks. :yelgreedy

link

Yet another great IotD; thanks!

Those bridges are way cooler than steel bridges, and have many advantages - low resource, low cost, minimal maintenance, long life; more of it, I say!

I'm thinking Hobbits...

Is anyone else seeing something out of LOTR? Awesome!

(I'm more thinking Monty Python and th Holy Grail when it comes to movies, though :o)

Quote:

Originally Posted by monster (Post 591498)

I want one!

Grow your own. :haha:

A root canal often leads to bridge work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs (Post 591522)

A root canal often leads to bridge work.

Shel's back.

omg Shel...too funny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by dar512 (Post 591535)

Shel's back.

And I have never been so glad to be back from vacation in my life!!!!

Those are some patient people.

Double points to Shel for that one. How was Jersey? What enormous presents did the family bestow on you this time?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum (Post 591625)

Double points to Shel for that one. How was Jersey? What enormous presents did the family bestow on you this time?

My best presents on this trip were meeting my new Great Nephew and being reminded why I NEVER WANT TO MOVE CLOSE TO MY FAMILY EVER!!!!

You know it's a bad vacation when the best part is finding out from the pilot on the trip to NJ that we were almost in a mid-air collision due to a tower goof sending up a plane as we were heading down.