Girish Bharadwaj, widely known as the “Bridge Man of India,” dies at 76, multiple outlets report. Bharadwaj, a mechanical engineer from Sullia in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, is remembered for designing and building more than 140 low-cost suspension footbridges across India. Reports say his work focused largely on rural connectivity, often in remote or inaccessible regions, linking villages to essential services and opportunities.
According to the accounts, he devoted over three decades to constructing suspension footbridges of varying spans and dimensions across rivers in several states, including Karnataka and Kerala, among others. His first suspension bridge is reported to have been built in 1989 across the Payaswini River. The bridges are described as providing more year-round access to schools, hospitals, and markets for communities previously cut off.
In 2017, the Union Government honors him with the Padma Shri for his contributions to building hanging foot bridges and improving rural connectivity. After his death, the state government announces a state funeral, according to one report. Other outlets also cite his family’s statement that he dies at a private hospital in Sullia following a brief illness.
