HYDERABAD: An unidentified man who jumped off the concourse of Chaitanyapuri Metro Station on Saturday, reportedly in a suicide attempt, is the fourth person to do so in the past two years, ever since the Hyderabad Metro services started. While, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) officials do not have any action plan to address these incidents, cities such as New Delhi that are plagued with similar incidents, have increased security, and launched social media campaigns to address mental health awareness at Metro stations. It remains unclear why HMRL has not taken these incidents seriously.
Pointing out how these incidents affect daily commuters, Anmol Anand, a frequent metro user, said, “Such incidents not only disrupt services but also highlight an underlying mental health problem that the city is dealing with. An adequate number of trained security guards at stations can help avoid these incidents. Apart from the junction stations, such as Ameerpet, there are no security guards on the platforms or even the concourse, to observe, detect and help such people.”
Another commuter, Neha Mathur, who recently shifted from New Delhi to Hyderabad said, “The Delhi Metro also struggles with a similar issue. However, once a pattern was established, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) started deploying cops and security guards at stations they identified as high-risk zones, especially near college campuses.” The DMRC recently started a social media drive called #NeverGiveUp. In Kolkata too, security guards deployed at stations have been increased to prevent the rising number of suicides.