200. In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. As the time passes, these bridges become stronger. These unique ‘living root bridges’ are found in (2015)

(a) Meghalaya 

(b) Himachal Pradesh 

(c) Jharkhand 

(d) Tamil Nadu 

Answer: (a)

Option (a) is correct: The Jing Kieng Jri or living root bridges — aerial bridges built by weaving and manipulating the roots of the Indian rubber tree — have been serving as connectors for generations in Meghalaya. A root bridge uses traditional tribal knowledge to train roots of the Indian rubber tree, found in abundance in the area, to grow laterally across a stream bed, resulting in a living bridge of roots. As the time passes, these bridges become stronger.