With the death of Tamil film producer K. Rajan on Sunday, the Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge, also known as the Adyar Bridge, has once again come under focus, prompting authorities to step up measures to prevent repeated suicides. The police and personnel from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) continue to face challenges in responding to the frequent incidents reported from the bridge.

The police said that within minutes of receiving information about any such incident, teams are mobilised and the TNFRS personnel are alerted. Officials said they had received frequent emergency calls from the bridge over the past few months. In some cases, intoxicated persons have also accidentally fallen or attempted to jump from the bridge, posing additional challenges to rescue teams.

“A few months ago, a drunk man climbed down the embankment and was about to jump into the river. Our personnel, along with the TNFRS staff, managed to prevent the attempt. It is extremely difficult to stop people with suicidal tendencies, as many arrive with a predetermined mindset. During patrols, we closely monitor suspicious movements and do not allow people to sit near the parapet wall of the bridge,” a senior police officer said.

“We face significant challenges in handling such cases, and it is not possible to guard the bridge round the clock. A few days ago, a 75-year-old former senior executive of a software company was seen walking around the bridge before suddenly jumping into the river. His body was found on the seashore two days later. Many people come here for a walk and suddenly take the extreme step,” the officer added.

The bridge falls under the jurisdiction of three police stations — Abiramapuram, Adyar and Shastri Nagar police stations. Officers said there are usually no jurisdictional issues in responding swiftly to distress calls. Police have suggested that civic authorities install barriers, raise the parapet walls, or add protective netting to prevent suicide attempts. The bridge is also under CCTV surveillance.

Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services said they face considerable difficulty in retrieving bodies from beneath the bridge, as many remain trapped in muddy or deep portions of the river. Teams from the Mylapore or Saidapet fire stations are usually deployed with boats and divers for rescue and recovery operations.

“Several months ago, a 75-year-old man jumped into the river but managed to hold on to one of the bridge pillars. We climbed down using ladders and ropes and rescued him before handing him over to the police. However, he refused to reveal the reason behind his decision,” a fire service officer said.

Another officer said tracing bodies in the Adyar river is often difficult because of tidal backwaters and muddy conditions. “If the body remains in the water for a longer duration, it enters an advanced stage of decomposition, making retrieval more difficult. Foul odour from both the water and the body also poses challenges during operations,” the officer said.

Similar incidents of people jumping from bridges have also been reported in recent years from the Periyar Bridge and the Napier Bridge.

Lakshmi Vijayakumar, psychiatrist and founder of the SNEHA, said jumping from bridges as a method of suicide has been observed worldwide. Certain bridges become identified as suicide hotspots largely because of repeated media attention and sensationalised reporting. Detailed coverage of such incidents can influence vulnerable individuals or those already contemplating suicide.

“Many bridges and flyovers across the world have witnessed such incidents. Suicidal behaviour is often preceded by prolonged rumination and planning. Once a person fixates on a particular location or method, it becomes difficult to alter that mindset or divert them elsewhere,” she said.

In Chennai too, the Kotturpuram Bridge gained public attention after the death of Carnatic singer Nithyashree Mahadevan’s husband in 2012. Over the next three years, 11 people died by suicide after jumping from the bridge.

“Alarmed by the trend, I met the then Chennai Corporation Commissioner Vikram Kapur and shared scientific studies and recommendations issued by the World Health Organization. I also proposed an aesthetically designed barrier to improve safety on the bridge. However, the execution did not go as planned. The parapet wall of the bridge was raised in a way that obstructed the view of the Adyar river. Despite that, the intervention proved effective. Since 2014, only one such incident has been reported there,” Dr. Lakshmi said.

She added that installing barriers and improving bridge safety are among the suicide prevention measures recommended by the World Health Organization. Experts say such measures can be implemented without affecting the aesthetics of a location.

“For instance, at the Golden Gate Bridge, emergency call boxes were installed with messages encouraging people experiencing suicidal thoughts to seek help. Many individuals reportedly used those call boxes for assistance. Authorities later installed protective netting beneath the bridge instead of erecting visible barriers,” she said.

“In Chennai, similar preventive designs can be adopted for bridges across the Adyar river without compromising their appearance. Aesthetically designed pillars or protective structures that blend with the architecture can help prevent suicide attempts. Similar interventions have been introduced at suicide-prone bridges in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, where such measures have helped reduce suicide rates,” Dr. Lakshmi added.

Following the recent suicide incidents at the Thiru. Vi. Ka Bridge, a senior official of the Greater Chennai Corporation said a meeting had been convened to discuss preventive infrastructure measures.

“Officials deliberated on physical interventions and assessed the structural stability of the bridge to determine whether modifications such as increasing the height and strength of the barriers could be safely implemented. Proposals for improvement are being prepared based on the assessment,” the official said.

(With inputs from R. Aishwaryaa)

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)