Maharashtra CM to appoint panel to curb suicides on Atal Setu; state plans urgent barricading, stepped-up security on Atal Setu after 15 suicide cases in 3 years

Mumbai: Safety infrastructure on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also known as Atal Setu, will be strengthened on priority, the Maharashtra government told the legislative council on Monday after a series of suicides from the sea bridge triggered concern.

Replying to a calling attention motion, industries minister Uday Samant said the government will issue a directive to complete barricading along the entire 22-km stretch at the earliest “so that nobody can jump and commit suicide”.The statement follows the recent death of a young man from Pune who allegedly leapt into the sea from the country’s longest sea bridge.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has also decided to appoint a high-level committee of senior govt officers to recommend multiple preventive measures.

The panel will examine structural interventions, surveillance, and response protocols to deter attempts and enable rapid rescue.Official data tabled in the house showed there were six incidents in 2026, of which four proved fatal, and six incidents in 2025, resulting in five deaths. In all, there were 15 suicides in three years in which 11 people died since 2024.Legislators across parties pressed for immediate safeguards on a corridor that carries high-speed, high-volume traffic.

Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap suggested integrating coast guard surveillance to improve response times during such emergencies. “With coast guard surveillance in the area, we can get better emergency response in such untoward incidents,” he said.Samant said that the government will “discuss with the Coast Guard and take their assistance as well”.The state has already deployed emergency resources on the bridge, including three motorbikes, two ambulances, three patrol vehicles and two speed boats to aid search and rescue operations, he said.

However, members argued that prevention must be the primary focus.Raising the motion, MLC Uma Khapre flagged gaps in safety preparedness despite continuous vehicular movement on the corridor. She called for high barricades on both sides and emergency communication systems at regular intervals, including dedicated call points or mobile-based contact centres for commuters in distress.While Atal Setu has significantly cut travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the government indicated it will now prioritise comprehensive safety upgrades to ensure such tragedies are not repeated on this critical link.