Padma Shri Awardee Girish Bharadwaj connected rural India with over 127 eco-friendly bridges
The story of Girish Bharadwaj, who built over 127 eco-friendly bridges, is inspiring. He has selflessly built these bridges to connect Indian villages. Covid-19 has taught us how important it is to maintain contact with others and the outside world even while we stay at home. Even in today's world, there are parts of India that are isolated from the mainland or cities. It may be difficult for the urban population to imagine a scenario in which people cannot freely travel, but one man has dedicated himself to changing this. Girish Bharadwaj, also known as Setu Bandhu or the Bridge Man of India, has built over 127 low-cost, environmentally friendly bridges to connect the villages. Girish, a mechanical engineer by trade, was working in his father's workshop, where he repaired farm machinery.He began developing a prototype with the assistance of a friend. Without a blueprint, they built a 50-meter-long bridge out of wooden slats, wire ropes, and steel rods. This res...