Since India's first Metro became operational in Kolkata 40 years ago, hundreds of people have taken their own lives by jumping before trains at stations. A large number of those who attempted suicide have been saved due to timely action by the authorities but the trend continues, particularly in the underground stretch.

"We have launched a special “Anti-Suicide’ campaign in the Blue Line (between the Kavi Subhash and Dakshineswar stations) in order to spread awareness among people and dissuade them from committing suicide. We are attempting to remind them that life is too precious to be taken away just because of a few problems that can be resolved. For this, colourful banners are being installed on the trackside walls of stations in this corridor. These banners are strategically placed in such a way that they can be seen from the platforms easily and can act as a last-minute deterrent before people take the plunge," said Kausik Mitra, chief public relations officer, of the Metro Railway.

The banners carry messages such as ‘Life Is A Journey: Don’t End This Precious Gift Early’, ‘Think Twice Before You End All’, ‘Your Life Is Precious, Never Give Up’, ‘You Have Your Family Members Waiting At Home, Think About Them’. The banners have already been displayed at the Kalighat and Girish Park stations. Metro plans to cover all stations in this corridor soon. The 'Blue Line', the oldest among the four links presently operational in the city, has witnessed the largest number of suicides.

"Not only do suicide attempts disrupt services - sometimes during peak hours - they leave an indelible mark on those who witness the act, including commuters and Metro staff. It is not only about service disruption that we are concerned about. We aim to try and save precious lives. The messages do not say: ‘Do not commit suicide in the Metro’, as that would imply they are free to go and end their lives somewhere else. We want to tackle this in a holistic manner," Mitra said.

There is no possibility of installing platform screen doors in the Blue Line stations. Apart from the cost, it would involve a total revamp of the system that may cause severe disruptions in what is today considered the city's lifeline.

Metro Railway, Kolkata, claims to have carried 9.3 crore commuters in the last five months alone. To prevent suicides, Metro has taken several steps already, including a reduction of the speed of trains as they enter a platform and the deployment of security staff at platform edges to keep people away. CCTV footage is also monitored constantly to try and identify people behaving 'differently'.

As Metro stations are public places, suicides are bound to impact the minds of others, another official said. In October this year, commuters at the Chandni Chowk station were mentally shattered as they watched in horror as a woman pushed her 7-year-old daughter to the middle of the platform and then jumped in front of an approaching train.

"This is a difficult task, but we will continue to make efforts to prevent the loss of lives within the Metro network," Mitra added.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS