Far removed from India’s infrastructure story of glittering airports and expressways, the humble suspension bridge serves as a lifeline for communities cut off by rivers and marshlands. Built quickly and inexpensively, the suspension bridge addresses a local need. Children get to school easily or a patient reaches hospital fast. Small businesses spend less getting their goods to market.
Girish Bharadwaj, a civil engineer, built 142 suspension bridges over two decades. They were mostly in the villages of Karnataka and Kerala. He used community labour to bring down costs. In the process he became a hero in those far-off areas.