Currents hamper Atal Setu rescue ops, say Mumbai police

Between January and September at least five people attempted suicide by jumping off the Atal Setu The bodies of two are yet to be recovered Police officers and local fishermen who assist in rescue efforts cite strong underwater currents as a major challenge in locating the bodies Each time someone jumps off the showpiece bridge law enforcement relies on the Sagari Rakshak Dal a rescue team comprising local fishermen who assist at any hourOn Monday a deputy manager of a nationalised bank took his own life by leaping from the bridge He allegedly jumped from the southbound section around 10 am on September 30 and his body was discovered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority JNPT in Navi Mumbai around 515 pm on October 1ldquoThe body was found approximately ten kilometres away but we suspect it drifted from the spot where he jumpedrdquo said Hitesh Koli a member of the fishermens rescue team ldquoWe rely on our Kolibandhavs local communities to recover bodies They assist us as a goodwill gesture and they are always prompt and willing to helprdquo said Senior PI Rohit Khot of the Sewri policeHitesh Koli 35 is among those who continue to assist officers in rescue operations around the Atal Setu ldquoWe believe itrsquos our moral duty to help the officers We have created several WhatsApp groups to alert them about any concerning incidentsrdquo he explained When rescuers and police receive reports of someone jumping from the bridge the rescue operation begins immediately ldquoWe take boats and start searching for the body We are provided with life jackets and based on the situation we decide whether to venture into the seardquo he saidAccording to Koli the strong sea currents hinder their efforts ldquoThe sea is deep and the pressure is high during low tide If someone jumps during low tide likely they wonrsquot be found The body can drift outside the city limitsrdquo he addedTypically rescuers search continuously for the body ldquoWe do our utmost to locate it whether during high tide or low tide We also notify other members of the Koli community to check the mangrove areas However we feel helpless when we cant locate the body due to the currents We urge people not to take extreme measures and to seek medical helprdquo he saidSenior PI Anjum Bagwan of the Nhava Sheva police station said ldquoSea currents are one of the biggest challenges we face in finding bodies If locals are unable to recover them we sometimes request private divers to assistrdquo However engaging a team of divers is a last resort for the police and can take a considerable amount of time as government approval is requiredldquoWe also enlist the help of divers who work alongside us No effort is spared to recover the bodies Police officials and private entities also search for bodies with the assistance of boatsrdquo Bagwan added In response to recent incidents police are discussing with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA the possibility of enhancing viewcut barricades and installing safety nets to prevent such tragediesBizman jumps off Trans Harbour LinkA 52yearold businessman allegedly died by suicide by jumping off the Atal Bihari Vajpayee SewrindashNhava Sheva Atal Setu on Wednesday According to the police he had been suffering from depression and was undergoing treatment Rescuers reported that his body was found floating saying that it was ldquoa miraclerdquo that it was recoveredThe incident came to light after the police received information that someone had parked a car and then jumped off the bridge Upon reaching the scene police discovered the deceaseds Aadhaar card which led to his identification as a resident of Matunga No suicide note had been recovered by the police and the wife of the deceased said that he was undergoing treatment for depression The Nhava Sheva police have registered an accidental death report in thematterSuicide helplinesAsara 24x798204 66726Languages Hindi and EnglishSnehi 10 am to 10 pm93768 04102Languages English Hindi and Marathi