'Bridge Man of India' Girish Bharadwaj passes away

• Girish Bharadwaj, a renowned social worker, engineer, and Padma Shri awardee, passed away on July 7, 2026, at the age of 76.

• He breathed his last at a private hospital in Sullia, located in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. He had been battling a heart-related ailment for a long time and was undergoing treatment.

• His passing marks the end of a significant chapter in the fields of social service and rural infrastructure.

• Girish Bharadwaj was widely known across the country as the "Bridge Man of India." He made commuting safe and easy for lakhs of people by constructing low-cost suspension bridges in rural and remote areas.

• His innovative techniques demonstrated that strong, durable, and functional infrastructure could be developed even with limited resources.

• His unique journey began in 1989 when he constructed his first suspension bridge over the Payaswini River in Arambur, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka.

• Following the success of this project, he contributed to the construction of hundreds of bridges based on the same model across various states in the country.

• Remote rural areas—particularly in Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Odisha—benefited greatly from the technology developed by Girish Bharadwaj, as the bridges he built became lifelines for the local communities.

• His work played a pivotal role in facilitating easier access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

• His contributions will always be remembered as an exemplary model of rural development, innovation, and public service.