‘Bridge Man’ who linked lives, villages dies at 76

MANGALURU: Padma Shri Girish Bharadwaj, who designed and built more than 140 affordable suspension footbridges across India over 35 years and popularly called ‘Bridge Man of India’, passed away at a private hospital in Sullia, 90km from here, Tuesday.

He was 76.Through bridges, Bharadwaj brought education, healthcare and opportunities closer to isolated communities in several states. Bharadwaj was honoured with Padma Shri in 2017. The state govt, while mourning his death, announced state funeral for the pioneering engineer.Born on May 12, 1950, he was raised in Aletty, a remote village in Sullia taluk. He was given lateral entry into Class 5 after four years of home schooling.

After completing mechanical engineering in 1973, he worked briefly as a farmer and started an engineering workshop in Sullia.He turned a bridge builder after villagers sought his help to cross a rivulet.

In three decades, Bharadwaj built 140 hanging bridge

An unexpected turning point came in 1989 when villagers requested Bharadwaj to build a hanging footbridge across the Payaswini river — something he had never designed or studied in detail.Yet, Bharadwaj, with simple technology and community participation, built an affordable suspension bridge that transformed the lives of hundreds of villagers.

It was to be the first of many bridges.He studied San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge and Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo before making his own suspension-bridge designs suitable for local needs.Over the next three decades, Bharadwaj built at least 140 hanging footbridges con necting villages separated by rivers. From 1993, he was invited to build bridges across Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.He had his share of non-engineering challenges like Naxals’ threats while executing projects in Odisha.Even when financial losses threatened to halt his work, he continued with his projects and ensured his workers were paid on time.Former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s vision of rural connectivity as the foundation of national development inspired him. Water conservation equally topped his mind.Several dignitaries, including chief minister DK Shivakumar, have mourned the death of Bharadwaj, who has two sons and a daughter.