Screens at East West Metro stations to check suicides

Kolkata: To prevent the frequent cases of suicide at Metro stations, the authorities are considering to build sliding screens on the platforms of the proposed East West Metro Corridor.
According to records, there have been 166 suicide attempts at Metro stations since the services were launched in 1984 and in most cases, people died on the spot.
“We are considering to create sliding screens on the platforms of the East West metro rail project. With such screens in place, no one will be able to jump in front of the train until it has stopped,” said a senior officer of the corridor project.
Metro stations have witnessed four suicide attempts with three deaths in 2009 so far. Last year, the number of attempts was 12 with six deaths. In 2007, four suicides and five attempts were reported at the stations, and 2006 saw two suicides with eight attempts.
Sensing the urgency a few years ago, Metro railway authorities had joined hands with a city-based NGO, Lifeline Foundation, to launch a helpline, help the distressed and bring down the suicide attempts at the Metro stations. While the helpline numbers are displayed and related documentaries are telecast at Metro stations, many complain the helpline numbers do not respond often. Even a documentary featuring Naseeruddin Shah urging people with suicidal tendencies to call these numbers for help hardly seems to have any impact.
The Metro authorities also say not much can be done to curb the incidents due to the poor infrastructure of the stations.
“The sliding screens can check suicide attempts at the East West Metro Corridor. However, any such facility is not possible at the existing Metro stations where the infrastructure is old,” said P Dutta, chief PRO, Metro Rail.
“We, however, have other mechanism like CCTVs by which we try to monitor accidents,” he added.