Meghalaya man honoured with Padma Shri for preserving living root bridges

An environmentalist from Meghalaya, Helly War, was awarded the Padma Shri for preserving the Khasi tradition of building living root bridges. Helly War has helped connect remote areas and promote sustainable living by working for over five decades to conserve the indigenous tradition. He has been nurturing and shaping the roots of ficus elastica tree since the age of 10.