There has been an increase in the suicide cases at Delhi Metro stations in the past one year. More than 25 suicide cases have been reported between January and June itself.
Where on one hand we are celebrating World Mental Awareness Days and weeks and months, the number of people who are resorting to suicide is constantly increasing. The constant stress, competition and depression is eventually forcing people to put a full stop to their lives and the Delhi Metro just seems to have become a hotspot for this.
There has been a series of suicide attempts in September itself.A 40-year-old man ended his life by jumping in front of the moving train on September 11 at Adarsh Nagar Metro Station, a day after World Suicide Prevention Day.On September 2 and 3, two passengers killed themselves in a similar manner at different station and on September 7, a 26-year-old woman did the same at Model Town Station.However, it’s not only about the four deaths that have been reported but a total of 37 attempts, 11 deaths, 14 cases of injuries which tell the tale.
Where the numbers are rising especially on the yellow and the blue line, steps have been taken by DMRC to tackle the problem.Platform screen doors (PSD’s) have been installed at some of the busiest stations such Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Chawri Bazar, Kashmere Gate and at new metro lines such as Pink and Magenta line.Furthermore, a campaign called #NeverGiveUp is being run by the DMRC in order to prevent these attempts and more cops and marshals are deployed at platforms to check for such cases.
DMRC is also sensitizing their staff and security personnel to look out for passengers who show signs of distress.
Even though there is still a long way to go and there needs to be more awareness, we hope that these measures prove beneficial for the prevention of such suicide attempts at some level.
