Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma with Hally War, the man who initiated the weaving of the living root bridge at Sohra, which is popularly known as Cherrapunjee.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For the first time, trekking became part of the Cabinet meeting drill for the Ministers in Meghalaya.
On Saturday (January 11, 2025), Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma led most of his Cabinet colleagues and officers of various departments to meet a sexagenarian who wove a living root bridge across a hill river to Siej, his village.
The trek for more than 10 minutes after an hour’s bus drive from Sohra was a component of a two-day Cabinet retreat, a meeting mixed with travel and adventure.
More popular as Cherrapunjee, Sohra is one of the rainiest places on earth and about 54 km southwest of the State’s capital Shillong. Siej is under the Shella-Bholaganj Block in the East Khasi Hills district.
“The trek to Siej was to see the Umkar Living Root bridge and meet Hally War, the man who initiated the weaving of the living root bridge, an essential part of the local culture for more than 300 years,” Mr. Sangma said.
Mr. War, the Siej village headman for the last 40 years, said he began weaving the root bridge when he was 10 years old. “I saw people facing difficulties in crossing the river. I remembered my grandparents sharing stories about the strength of the living roots and decided to build a lasting and sustainable bridge,” he said.
A view of the ‘living root bridge’ at Sohra, which is popularly known as Cherrapunjee, in Meghalaya.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Mr. Sangma said the root bridges remain a symbol of sustainable architecture and community-driven development – a template his National People’s Party-led alliance government intends to follow in promoting tourism and other sectors.
“This root bridge shows the patience and dedication required to create something sustainable. It’s a testament to the wisdom passed down through generations,” he added.
During the visit, the Chief Minister announced new infrastructure projects to improve connectivity in the region, including the construction of new roads and the upgrading of school buildings. “The government is committed to addressing the needs of rural communities,” he said.
He also explained the idea behind the Cabinet retreat, touted by the government as a first of its kind. “We are charting the Vision 2032 for the growth and development of Meghalaya when it attains 60 years of statehood,” he said.
On the first day of the retreat on Friday, the Cabinet approved CM Assure, a market intervention scheme to support small and marginal farmers by guaranteeing fixed-price procurement during market price decline to prevent distress sales. The State government budgeted a revolving corpus fund of ₹100 crore.
Among the other decisions were the regularisation of 850 employees who were given ad hoc appointments before 2007, approval of The Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules of 2025 to facilitate ease of doing business, and an upward revision of minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers.
Published – January 12, 2025 02:00 am IST