Karwar:  A new hanging bridge built developed by the Coastal Development Authority (CDA) across the Sharavati river in Kudragi gram panchayat was inaugurated by Heavy industries minister R V Deshpande on Saturday. CDA chairperson Nivedith Alva was the chief guest at the event.

The sources said that the 265-m bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.78 crore, is expected to benefit about 20,000 residents of Upponi and Kudragi gram panachayats. Girish Bharadwaj of Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, is the chief architect. 

Currently, Uttara Kannada has over 15 hanging bridges across various rivers some of whom are attracting visitors from far off places. 

The recent construction of hanging bridges across rivers in Uttara Kannada has not only helped in providing access to remove villages, but also managed to attract many tourists. A senior officer of the district administration said, "Uttara Kannada is 80% forest and has over 10 rivers. Constructing bridges for villages that have negligible population is not feasible. Hence, the hanging bridges have come as a boon for the villagers.