Telangana village on 'suicide watch' saves 300 lives in 3 years
HYDERABAD: Residents of Yamcha, a hamlet on banks of the Godavari in Telangana's Nizamabad - around 200km from Hyderabad - have prevented over 300 potential suicides in the past three years.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The village, home to 1,700-odd people, keeps a wary eye on the nearby Basara bridge for anyone attempting suicide by jumping into the river. The watch intensifies when monsoon arrives and the river is in spate, making it an infamous "suicide hotspot". It helps that most of the villagers are natural swimmers adept at navigating the strong current.
"Last year, we rescued a father and his two sons after they leapt into the waters from the bridge," recalled Lingaiah.
"On another occasion, a woman's clothing got caught in an iron rod jutting out of the bridge, leaving her dangling. Some fisherfolk nearby heard her cries for help and rescued her."
Most of those rescued by the villagers blame debt and family disputes for their acts of desperation. "It is particularly distressing to see bodies floating in the river, as some choose to jump off the bridge at night when we are not keeping watch," said Mahipal, who has rescued around 20 people to date.
Fellow villager P Vinod recounted instances of people informing their families about their intention to die by suicide. "Invariably, family members contact police and details, including photos, are immediately shared on a WhatsApp group," he said.
T
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
his tie-up with Navipet police station has already helped save many lives. Once police receive a report, they alert the villagers and a search begins immediately.
Locals say many of those who attempt suicide later express gratitude for being saved. In one instance, a woman from Maharashtra invited her rescuers from Yamcha to her wedding. An elderly person who was prevented from taking his life over a family dispute reconciled with his relatives. "He now lives happily with his family and recently invited those who saved him for lunch," a villager added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Influencer rants about Chennai flat being available only to vegetarians; social media reacts, ‘Uska ghar uski marzi'
Social media influencer Prashanth Rangaswamy's post about trying to find a new flat in Chennai has gone viral. 'Eating non veg is injurious to finding flats for rent in Chennai,' Prashanth wrote while sharing the screenshot of a WhatsApp chat, assumably from the owner. 'Sorry, sir. Looking at veg only families (sic),' says the screenshot of the WhatsApp chat. The Twitter (now X) post has gained 2 million views. Many users commented to criticise the house owner. 'I wonder how social media will outrage if non vegetarians start denying renting their houses to vegetarians,' wrote one user. 'Only 3% of Tamil Nadu is vegetarian. I'm sore you will find house amongst the other 97%,' wrote another. One user quipped, 'Hope their walls are built by vegetarians.' At the same time, many users did not appreciate the post. An X user argued that preferring a vegetarian tenant should be considered casteism but a personal choice, similar to rules like 'no pets' or 'bachelors only'. The user criticised the habit of blaming Brahminism for every such decision, calling it ideological desperation. According to the user, not all vegetarians are Brahmins, and many people, including some non-vegetarians, avoid cooking meat at home due to smell or religious reasons. The user stressed mutual respect: 'Your beef with Brahmins (pun intended) doesn't mean everyone else should marinate in meat. Respect is mutual, so is choice. Eat what you want in your house, respect what people want in theirs.' Another user commented, 'His house his rules ….Pls buy one and rent it out to whoever u want. The Flat owner can choose who they want to rent.' 'His flat his choice. He can decide not to give to fat people also if he wants,' came from another. 'Uska ghar uski marzi,' said another. Another user argued, 'Though it is wrong and illogical but still it's his house so he has full right to choose his tenants. Muslims also do this halal practices drama no…. so if no one questions them, so this flat owner shouldn't be questioned.'
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Find yoga centres on WhatsApp now
Mumbai: The BMC has launched a WhatsApp chatbot service to provide information about yoga centers to Mumbaikars, on the occasion of the International Yoga Day . By sending a message to 8999228999, residents can receive updated and detailed information about nearby Shiva Yoga Centers. tnn
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
Telangana village on 'suicide watch' saves 300 lives in 3 years
HYDERABAD: Residents of Yamcha, a hamlet on banks of the Godavari in Telangana's Nizamabad - around 200km from Hyderabad - have prevented over 300 potential suicides in the past three years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The village, home to 1,700-odd people, keeps a wary eye on the nearby Basara bridge for anyone attempting suicide by jumping into the river. The watch intensifies when monsoon arrives and the river is in spate, making it an infamous "suicide hotspot". It helps that most of the villagers are natural swimmers adept at navigating the strong current. "Last year, we rescued a father and his two sons after they leapt into the waters from the bridge," recalled Lingaiah. "On another occasion, a woman's clothing got caught in an iron rod jutting out of the bridge, leaving her dangling. Some fisherfolk nearby heard her cries for help and rescued her." Most of those rescued by the villagers blame debt and family disputes for their acts of desperation. "It is particularly distressing to see bodies floating in the river, as some choose to jump off the bridge at night when we are not keeping watch," said Mahipal, who has rescued around 20 people to date. Fellow villager P Vinod recounted instances of people informing their families about their intention to die by suicide. "Invariably, family members contact police and details, including photos, are immediately shared on a WhatsApp group," he said. T Tired of too many ads? go ad free now his tie-up with Navipet police station has already helped save many lives. Once police receive a report, they alert the villagers and a search begins immediately. Locals say many of those who attempt suicide later express gratitude for being saved. In one instance, a woman from Maharashtra invited her rescuers from Yamcha to her wedding. An elderly person who was prevented from taking his life over a family dispute reconciled with his relatives. "He now lives happily with his family and recently invited those who saved him for lunch," a villager added.
