Following the spate of suicide attempts from bridges, the district police have decided to install safety-nets on either side of the road-bridge to prevent such bids. East Singhbum Senior Superintendent of Police Amol V Homkar said that he had ordered the local police station concerned and the civic body, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) to ensure that safety nets be installed along the road bridge.
“The situation is becoming serious. We have also requested the JNAC authority to conduct a survey of the area surrounding the twin bridges over Subernarekha and mobilise resources to get the sides of the bridge fenced with nets. Once the sides of the bridge are covered with nets, the people will not be able to come to the bridge for committing suicide by jumping into the river," said the senior SP.
Concerned over rising cases of suicides attempts from the Jay Prakash Narayan Setu in Mango and Kharkai Bridge in Adityapur, city based suicide prevention centre Jeevan had also raised a demand to ensure proper safety at two new bridges that are coming up in the form of toll bridge which is coming on River Kharkai connecting Adityapur with Kadma and another bridge coming up adjacent to it.
The decision to this effect was taken in the light of a recent incident in which a 23-year-old woman committed suicide by drowning in the Subernarekha near the Mango bridge. Torture for dowry forced a newly-wed girl to commit suicide by drowning in river along Sitaramdera police station area on Friday morning. The victim was identified as Chandni Kumari, wife of Jyoti Prakash Singh, a resident of Bagbera Colony.
The Mango bridge from where people, mostly youngsters tend to jump for committing suicide falls under Sitaramdera and Mango police station areas respectively. On an average two incidents of attempted suicide take place at the Mango bridge every month.
Officials of Jeevan have decided to retake up the issue with the deputy commissioners of the twin district over the issue and demanding immediate action ensuring safety at bridges. “Within a span of a year ten cases of suicides have been reported of drowning near Mango bridge. Though the figures are not alarming but if immediate steps are not taken, bridges at Mango and Adityapur might turn into suicide points,” said Mahabir Ram, director, Jeevan.
City-based Dr. U K Srivastava said that limiting the availability of one method of committing suicide is reported to reduce the overall suicide rate. Suicide and injury suicide preventive measures should be considered. A study also demonstrates that bridges attract suicide candidates.