Mumbai's Atal Setu sees 15 suicide cases in 2 years; govt plans barricades
Maharashtra will install barricades and review additional safety measures on the Atal Setu after 15 suicide cases or attempts were reported on the bridge since 2024.
Fifteen cases of suicide or attempts to end life have been reported on the Atal Setu, India’s longest sea bridge linking south Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and 12 people have died so far since 2024, Maharashtra minister Uday Samant told the legislative council on Monday.
Replying to a question over the matter in the Assembly, the Industries Minister said that of the 12 deaths, the bodies of four people have not been found. He also said a committee headed by a senior police officer will be formed to study and implement steps to prevent loss of life on the bridge.
Samant said there were six incidents of people jumping off the Atal Setu in 2024. Of these, four people died, including two whose bodies were not found, while two were rescued. In 2025, six such incidents were recorded, in which five people died and one was saved, he said.
In 2026 so far, three fatalities have been reported in as many cases, and the bodies of two people were not found, Samant said.
He said some portions of the sea bridge need to be barricaded and added that instructions would be given for immediate barricading of those stretches. He further said that, from the perspective of technical feasibility, road safety and operational considerations, action was being taken to install safety nets or other additional protective measures on the remaining parts of the bridge wherever required.
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, is 21.8 km long with three lanes on each side. Of this, about 16.5 km is over the sea and around 5.5 km is on land. The bridge was opened for public use on January 13, 2024, and up to June 25, 2024, around 2.39 crore vehicle users had used it.
Out of the bridge’s total carriageway length of about 33 km in both directions, around 29.6 km is covered by noise barriers, view barriers or protective grills. Samant said this means a major portion of the sea bridge is secured, with access to the sea and visibility of the water blocked at many locations.
He added that six Emergency Call Boxes connected directly to the control room have been installed on the bridge, which is also under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance with regular patrol teams and a prompt emergency response system.
The minister told the House that while much of the bridge is already protected through barriers, more steps, including barricading and additional safety measures, will be taken to prevent further loss of life on the Atal Setu.
Fifteen cases of suicide or attempts to end life have been reported on the Atal Setu, India’s longest sea bridge linking south Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and 12 people have died so far since 2024, Maharashtra minister Uday Samant told the legislative council on Monday.
Replying to a question over the matter in the Assembly, the Industries Minister said that of the 12 deaths, the bodies of four people have not been found. He also said a committee headed by a senior police officer will be formed to study and implement steps to prevent loss of life on the bridge.
Samant said there were six incidents of people jumping off the Atal Setu in 2024. Of these, four people died, including two whose bodies were not found, while two were rescued. In 2025, six such incidents were recorded, in which five people died and one was saved, he said.
In 2026 so far, three fatalities have been reported in as many cases, and the bodies of two people were not found, Samant said.
He said some portions of the sea bridge need to be barricaded and added that instructions would be given for immediate barricading of those stretches. He further said that, from the perspective of technical feasibility, road safety and operational considerations, action was being taken to install safety nets or other additional protective measures on the remaining parts of the bridge wherever required.
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, is 21.8 km long with three lanes on each side. Of this, about 16.5 km is over the sea and around 5.5 km is on land. The bridge was opened for public use on January 13, 2024, and up to June 25, 2024, around 2.39 crore vehicle users had used it.
Out of the bridge’s total carriageway length of about 33 km in both directions, around 29.6 km is covered by noise barriers, view barriers or protective grills. Samant said this means a major portion of the sea bridge is secured, with access to the sea and visibility of the water blocked at many locations.
He added that six Emergency Call Boxes connected directly to the control room have been installed on the bridge, which is also under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance with regular patrol teams and a prompt emergency response system.
The minister told the House that while much of the bridge is already protected through barriers, more steps, including barricading and additional safety measures, will be taken to prevent further loss of life on the Atal Setu.
