MMRDA to appoint IIT expert committee for safety measures at Atal Setu

Following a series of incidents involving multiple suicides from the Atal Setu bridge, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is in the process of appointing an expert committee from IIT Bombay, which has been assisting it since the inception of the project, to provide recommendations on the same. As per the MMRDA, they are fully cognisant of the incidents on the bridge and have already initiated steps to address the situation.

The MMRDA confirmed that they have received a letter from the traffic police regarding the installation of safety nets on the Atal Setu. However, considering that the bridge spans 22 kilometres across diverse environments such as mangroves, mudflats, and deep-sea areas, where shipping channels are active, any long-term safety solutions will need to be carefully assessed with input from environmental and engineering experts. MMRDA said this in a statement it issued on Thursday where it denied having criticised any authority or administrative body for any slackness on MTHL.

While a 40-year-old manager of a public sector bank allegedly jumped off the Atal Setu on Monday morning, a businessman (52) jumped-off the bridge on Wednesday morning. According to the police officials, five incidents of suicides have been reported from the MTHL so far since its inauguration in February, this year.

The Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), was opened to the public in January 2024. Spanning 21.8 km, with 16 km stretching over the sea, it has significantly cut travel time between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, reducing commutes by up to an hour. MMRDA reported that over 5 million vehicles used the bridge between its inauguration on January 13 and August 25, 2024.