Train Tracks become suicide zone

Nalgonda: Four places on the railway track in erstwhile Nalgonda district is turning into ‘suicide spots’ where more than 95 per cent of the suicide cases were reported last year.

According to official figures, 89 persons committed suicide by jumping before the running trains in the district and all of them were reported at the four suicide spots. In the months of January and February, 2018, about 18 suicides were reported on railway tracks in the district.

From January 2016 to May 2017, 13 suicide cases were reported on railway track between Nalgonda and Srirampuram, 11 suicides between Nalgonda and Thipparthy, 12 cases from Alair to Vangapally.

In addition to this, 10 suicides took place on railway track near Water Tank Thanda near Miryalaguda railway station. Over 28 trains ply up and down on the 134 km long railway track from Bibinagar to Vishnupuram in Nalgonda district.

The spots at Flyover Bridge on Nalgonda-Panagal, rail over bridge near Charlapally, FCI godowns on Miryalaguda road and Water Tank thanda near Miryalaguda have become suicide spots in the district.

The Railway Police are clueless on why the victims, who belongs to different places in the district, have chosen these spots to end their lives. The suicide spots are located near the villages and towns and there was no fencing and compound wall at the place. It is facilitating the people to reach onto the railway track without any hurdle.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Nalgonda Railway Police Station Sub-Inspector T Achyutham said the persons who are committing suicide are in the age group of 24 to 27. They choose the railway tracks believing that it is a fast, painless and foolproof way to end one’s life.

During his tenure as Railway SI, the survival cases of suicide attempts by jumping before running train were almost nil, he maintained. Stating that the youngsters have habit of sitting at the door particularly in summer season, he said that the cases of falling down from a running train were more in the summer season. In the last summer season, nearly 10 such incidents have taken place. He suggested people not to sit at the door of the bogies of the trains.

“As of my knowledge, love affairs, depression developed due to unemployment and financial problems were the reasons for majority of the suicides on railway tracks in my jurisdiction”, he opined. He told that they have also sent a report to the Railways on the suicides and accidental deaths on the tracks and made some suggestions to check them.