River of grief: Suicides in Yamuna highlight gaps in public safety

Stretching from the Wazirabad barrage, beneath the iconic Signature Bridge, down to the Okhla barrage, the Yamuna River in Delhi has increasingly become a grim site. Bodies in various stages of decomposition are regularly found along this stretch, pointing to a troubling pattern of disappearances and unexplained deaths that raise serious concerns about safety and monitoring in the capital.

Delhi’s mortuary Yamuna River

According to the Zonal Integrated Police Network (ZIPNET), under Wazirabad Police Station jurisdiction, four unidentified dead bodies (UIDBs) have been found, of which two were recovered from the water up to July 11, 2025. During the same period, Timar Pur Police Station reported discovering around 14 UIDBs, with two found in the Yamuna and the rest mostly under the Wazirabad flyover. Notably, the two bodies found in the river were a male and a female, both recovered on the same day by the same police officer.

On July 7, 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Delhi University student, was seen near the Signature Bridge in the early morning. She was meant to escort a friend to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station for a 6:15 AM train; however, this did not happen.

According to the taxi driver she had booked, Debnath had changed her drop-off location to the Signature Bridge and got off there. Yet, due to the absence of functional CCTV cameras on the bridge, the investigators were left with hardly any evidence.

Six days later, her body was retrieved from the Yamuna River near the Geeta Colony flyover on the evening of July 13. Later, a suicide note was also recovered from the 19-year-old’s Delhi home. The letter, written in Sneha’s handwriting, stated that she felt like a failure and a burden, and it was getting unbearable to live like this.

Similarly, under Kashmere Gate Police Station’s jurisdiction, around 95 dead bodies have surfaced, some floating in the Yamuna. According to ZIPNET data, seven bodies were recovered near Yudhishtir Setu, while a bloated, long-decomposed body was found in the river close to Nigambodh Ghat.

Under the South East district, Kalindi Kunj Police Station has accounted for around six UIDBs in its area, with two discovered immersed in the Yamuna near Chhatt Ghat. A police official said, “The two were found to be around 40 years of age with much of the body decomposed beyond recognition, mostly bloated by the river water.”

Surveillance is also lacking along the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway. Jamia Nagar Police Station, also in the South East district, reported three UIDBs found under the DND flyway, all retrieved from the Yamuna. Police testimony indicates all three were bloated and decomposed to a significant extent.

These areas essentially form a contiguous tributary, and the UIDBs reported so far offer only a microscopic view of a much larger problem. Police officials express concern that the lack of CCTV cameras severely hampers their work.

One officer said, “The absence of cameras means we must work around the clock and stay close to prevent untoward incidents. Sometimes we are able to save drowning persons or those attempting suicide at these points. But it is not always successful.”

Delhi Police’s successful rescue operations

To illustrate, on April 8, a 30-year-old man named Vicky, a resident of Dhaka Gaon, Delhi, attempted suicide by jumping off the Signature Bridge into the Yamuna. The incident occurred around 12:20 PM following an argument with his father, police reported.

A senior officer said the police promptly coordinated a rescue with the help of private divers and a boat, successfully pulling Vicky from the river in a semi-conscious state.

He was immediately given medical attention, and his father was notified. The officer confirmed Vicky was later reunited with his family after treatment.

Similarly, on January 5, police prevented another suicide attempt by a 15-year-old student struggling with academic pressure. After the mother found a suicide note, she informed the police. The teenager was discovered atop the Signature Bridge parapet, ready to jump.

A police officer closely connected to the case said a guard and swimmer, Brijesh Kumar, leapt into the river to rescue her. The girl was safely pulled ashore and immediately counselled by police.

However, not every suicide attempt ends in rescue.

Challenges in retrieving bodies at bridges

Deputy Commissioner of Police North, Raja Banthia, explained many bodies are difficult to retrieve promptly for identification. “Normally, if someone falls into the river, the body resurfaces after four or five days. By then, it becomes too late to retrieve it within our jurisdiction, as the currents easily move the body from one end to another,” he said.

Another senior official added that when a missing person’s report is filed near a bridge or river, authorities in neighbouring districts are informed. “We usually alert corresponding districts, especially in Haryana, since there is a filtering net between Delhi and Haryana. Sometimes, if the current is fast, the body or any debris is carried as far as Palwal district,” he explained.

Due to the lack of surveillance, these locations have effectively become suicide hotspots in Delhi.

Signature Bridge: A suicide hotspot

On September 24, 2024, the body of Ansh Chaudhary, a 12th-standard student, was recovered near Okhla Barrage several kilometres from where he had jumped into the Yamuna from the Signature Bridge three days earlier.

Delhi Police, assisted by divers, had searched for Ansh for three days. The student, a resident of Indrapuri, Loni, left home on September 21 claiming to go to a coaching centre, which was later found to be closed. That evening, his family discovered his motorbike, mobile phone, and bag on the Signature Bridge and learned he had jumped into the river.

Also Read: Yamuna river pollution spikes despite clean-up push

Similarly, on August 14, 2023, Rajat, a 19-year-old student from Karawal Nagar, died by suicide after leaping from the Signature Bridge into the Yamuna. Rajat, who worked in Karol Bagh and lived with his parents and two sisters, stopped at the bridge on his way home before jumping. Police and divers recovered his body, but due to elevated water levels from recent rains, rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and Rajat drowned.

No suicide note or evidence was found, and police ruled out foul play. Only his bag was recovered at the site.

Reports indicate that Delhi Police had requested mesh barriers from the Tourism Department to prevent suicides from the Signature Bridge. However, this demand remains unmet, while CCTV cameras on the bridge continue to be dysfunctional.