'Bridge Man of India' Girish Bharadwaj Passes Away at 76, Built Over 140 Bridges Across India

Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj , India's celebrated "Bridge Man of India," died at KVG Hospital in Sullia, Karnataka, on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 76. Family sources confirmed his death, while local reports said he had been undergoing treatment for a heart related ailment after recently returning from a temple visit in Uttara Kannada.

A mechanical engineer from Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district, Bharadwaj devoted more than three decades to solving one of rural India's biggest infrastructure challenges by building over 140 low cost suspension footbridges across Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Telangana and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, besides several other states. While some local reports estimate he constructed more than 150 bridges , official accounts continue to place the figure at over 140 .

His extraordinary journey began in 1989 when he built his first suspension bridge across the Payaswini River at Aramburu. The project, completed for less than ₹2 lakh after repeated tragedies and dangerous river crossings, demonstrated that practical engineering could dramatically improve rural lives. Designed at nearly one tenth the cost of conventional bridges and often completed within three months, his structures connected remote villages to schools, hospitals, markets, workplaces and emergency services , allowing year round access even during the monsoon.

Bharadwaj's innovative work earned him nationwide recognition as the "Bridge Man of India," while grateful villagers affectionately called him the "Visvesvaraya of Sullia." Engineering circles also referred to him as the "Commander of Suspension Bridges." He personally supervised bridge construction, frequently waived professional fees and, in several projects, contributed his own money to ensure communities received safe river crossings. Although older records mention three bridges in Andhra Pradesh and recent reports refer to projects in Telangana following the state's bifurcation.

The Government of India honoured Bharadwaj with the Padma Shri in 2017 for his outstanding contribution to rural connectivity and social service. His work also earned appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who praised his "Sethu Bandhu" mission of connecting isolated communities through affordable engineering.

Condolences poured in from across Karnataka following his passing. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar described Bharadwaj as a rare technical visionary and innovator whose work bridged not only rivers but also the developmental divide faced by remote villages. He said the state had lost an extraordinary engineer whose legacy would continue to inspire generations.

Bharadwaj is survived by his two sons and a daughter. His wife, Usha, predeceased him. Across India, thousands continue to cross the bridges he built, ensuring that his legacy endures in the everyday lives of people he helped connect.