UPSC Prelims 2015 GS Paper I · Q69 of 100 Geography easy

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

  1. (a) Meghalaya ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) Himachal Pradesh
  3. (c) Jharkhand
  4. (d) Tamil Nadu

Why the answer is (a)

• Living root bridges are found in the East Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, where the Khasi and Jaintia people guide the aerial roots of the Indian rubber fig (Ficus elastica) across streams over 15–30 years; the double-decker bridge at Nongriat near Cherrapunji is the most famous — option (a).

• They are on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list.

• Hence option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has no living root bridges.
(c) Jharkhand
Jharkhand has no living root bridges.
(d) Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has no living root bridges.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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