Odisha Witnesses 15 Deaths By Suicide Every Day: NCRB

Bhubaneswar: Odisha witnessed 15 suicide cases on an average every day in 2021, according to the data available in a new report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

A total of 5,651 persons took the extreme step in Odisha during the year, says the NCRB report on Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. This means over 15 persons on average are dying by suicide in the state.

The NCRB data showed that suicide cases in 2021 registered a whopping 23 per cent increase when compared with the number recorded in 2019 in the state.

In 2019, 4,582 cases of suicide cases were recorded in Odisha and the number increased to 5,569 in 2020.  Suicides in the state rose by a substantial 21 per cent in 2020 over the previous year. Suicide cases increased marginally in 2021 over the previous year, the data showed.

While many people were believed to have been driven by various issues including tussle in the family to take the extreme step, a number of students appeared to have ended their lives because of failed love affairs. A number of suicides were also triggered by marital discord, experts feel.

Financial crisis and mental health seemed to have emerged as major challenges in the state in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.

Experts are of the view that suicides rose substantially during the last two years following the pandemic as many people lost their livelihood and social connection, which affected their mental health.

Steps should be taken to undertake awareness drives and counselling with the help of experts in order to deal with the challenge, they said.

Notably, deaths by suicide across India in 2021 soared to the highest level ever recorded at 120 deaths per million population, rising 6.1% from the previous year. The fastest increase was observed among students and small entrepreneurs as was the case in 2020 amid prolonged stress induced by the pandemic.