Tributes pour in for engineer who dedicated his life to rural connectivity over profit

Girish Bharadwaj, the Padma Shri recipient and "Bridge Man of India" for constructing inexpensive suspension bridges in isolated areas, passed away  at 76 on Tuesday at a private hospital in Sullia following a brief illness, according to family sources.

Bharadwaj, a mechanical engineer from Sullia in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, spent more than thirty years building more than 140 suspension footbridges throughout the nation, many of them in remote areas, in order to link remote rural villages.

Thousands of people's lives were changed by his creative, affordable bridge designs, which made schools, hospitals, and marketplaces accessible all year round. In 1989, Bharadwaj constructed the Payaswini River's first suspension bridge. Later, his efforts spread to Kerala, Karnataka, and several other states.

While speaking with reporters at the Press Club Guest of the Month event hosted by the organization, Bharadwaj remembered that the 150 hanging bridges constructed thus far had given rural connectivity and enabled people to quickly visit the closest hospitals.

There are many instances where people have waited for more than 30 years for a bridge," he said. At first, locals in Odisha's Naxal-infested districts were wary of his activities. But when the bridges were finished earlier than expected.
The Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri in 2017 in honor of his exceptional contributions to social service and rural connectivity.

Many people in Karnataka are remembering him as an engineer whose work crossed not only rivers but also the developmental divide faced by isolated areas. His passing has sparked tributes from all around the state.