NEW DELHI: Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj, the engineer celebrated as the “Bridge Man of India” for transforming rural connectivity through low-cost suspension bridges, died at a private hospital in Sullia, Karnataka, early on Tuesday following a brief illness. He was 76.Bharadwaj’s death prompted tributes from across Karnataka, with political leaders and residents remembering him as an engineer whose work connected not only remote villages but also helped bridge the developmental divide faced by isolated communities.Taking to social media platform X, Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar paid tribute to Bharadwaj, recalling that he built more than 140 suspension bridges across the country, linking remote and hilly villages and making life easier for countless people.“I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Padma Shri awardee Dr Girish Bharadwaj, who was widely known as the “Bridge Man” for his pioneering work in building suspension bridges. With his demise, the state has lost a rare technical visionary and innovator,” he said.Shivakumar added that Bharadwaj’s contribution to society earned him deep respect in the communities he served.“According to him, in recognition of Bharadwaj’s selfless service through engineering and technology, grateful villagers fondly called him the “Visvesvaraya of Sullia.”“May Dr Girish Bharadwaj’s soul rest in peace. I pray that God grants strength to his family and admirers to bear this irreparable loss. Om Shanti,” Shivakumar added.A mechanical engineer from Sullia in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, Bharadwaj dedicated more than three decades to improving access in some of India’s most inaccessible regions. Over the course of his career, he constructed more than 140 suspension footbridges across Karnataka, Kerala and several other states, helping thousands of people reach schools, hospitals and markets throughout the year.His journey began in 1989 when he built his first suspension bridge across the Payaswini River. The success of that project laid the foundation for a mission that would earn him nationwide recognition as the “Bridge Man of India”.In recognition of his contribution to rural connectivity and social service, the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri on Bharadwaj in 2017. His innovative, low-cost bridge designs continue to stand as a lasting legacy of engineering in service of some of the country’s most underserved communities.
