Maharashtra to install barricades on Atal Setu to prevent suicides
The Maharashtra government announced on Monday that it will urgently install barricades along the entire 22-kilometre stretch of the Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, to prevent suicides. The decision follows a series of suicide attempts on the sea bridge, which has seen 15 incidents and 11 deaths over a three-year period since 2024.
Replying to a calling attention motion in the legislative council, Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant stated that the government will issue an immediate directive to complete the barricading at the earliest. Samant explained that the primary objective of the physical barriers is to ensure that nobody can jump off the bridge.
The government's announcement comes after the recent death of a young man from Pune who allegedly leapt into the sea from the country’s longest sea bridge. The incident triggered widespread concern over the lack of safety measures on the corridor.
To formulate a long-term solution, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to appoint a high-level committee of senior government officers. This panel will be responsible for recommending multiple preventive measures to secure the bridge. The committee's mandate includes examining structural interventions, increasing surveillance, and improving response protocols to deter future attempts and enable rapid rescue operations.
Official data tabled in the legislative council highlighted the gravity of the situation. The records showed there were six incidents in 2026, of which four proved fatal, and six incidents in 2025, which resulted in five deaths. In total, 15 suicide incidents have been recorded on the bridge over three years since 2024, leading to 11 fatalities.
Legislators across all political parties pressed the state government for immediate safeguards on the vital transit corridor, which carries high-speed and high-volume traffic. The government has committed to strengthening the safety infrastructure on the bridge on priority.
