The Meghalaya government has missed the February deadline to submit the nomination dossier for the ‘Living Root Bridges’ to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Junhi Han, Chief of the Culture Unit at UNESCO’s New Delhi South Asia Regional Office, noted that the nomination process is rigorous and generally takes about 18 months. Han, who participated in a workshop on preparing World Heritage nomination dossiers, pointed out that the annual deadline for submission to the World Heritage Centre in Paris is early February.
With the 2025 deadline now lapsed, the Meghalaya government must aim for February 2026 to resubmit. If the dossier is deemed complete and meets UNESCO’s eligibility standards, it will progress to the evaluation phase. The World Heritage Committee will then make the final decision regarding the Living Root Bridges’ inscription as a World Heritage Site in 2027.
Recently, the Department of Art and Culture held a workshop at the Heritage Club, Tripura Castle in Shillong. The workshop focused on assisting in the preparation of the nomination dossier titled “Jingkieng Jri: Living Root Bridges Cultural Landscapes.” UNESCO representatives attended to provide guidance throughout this preparation process.
According to Han, the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya, made from rubber trees (ficus elastica), are distinct from traditional cane and bamboo bridges constructed by the Lepcha communities in Sikkim’s Dzongu Tribal Reserve, which lies within the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve. So far, 131 Living Root Bridges have been documented, although experts believe that many more remain hidden in difficult terrains.
On Wednesday, the UNESCO team plans to visit the Living Root Bridges sites, known locally as Jingkieng Jri. Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary of Forest and Environment, emphasized that efforts to preserve these unique structures began in 2018. He mentioned that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has shown strong interest in obtaining UNESCO recognition and has committed full support to the initiative. FR Kharkongor, Principal Secretary of Art and Culture, expressed optimism for the inclusion of the Living Root Bridges in the World Heritage list, highlighting the workshop as a significant step toward achieving that goal.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/meghalaya/meghalaya-govt-misses-unesco-deadline-to-submit-nomination-dossier-for-living-root-bridges/26109/
Category: Meghalaya,Living Root Bridges,UNESCO
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Publish Date: 2025-05-28 11:38:00
