Guwahati's suicide numbers are through the roof; police provides details
- Dec 28, 2021,
- Updated Dec 28, 2021, 10:24 PM IST
GUWAHATI: A high suicide rate continues to plague Guwahati, Assam's biggest city that is considered to be the 'gateway to the Northeast.'
As per data furnished by the police commissionerate of Guwahati, from January 1 of 2021 to December 2 of the same year, as many as 373 people have ended their own lives, which is a staggering figure.
The highest number of suicide cases (79) was reported on the Fatasil Ambari area of West Police District of the city, while Dispur logged 42 cases.
These figures have been reported at a time when suicide cases across Assam seem to be on the rise in the aftermath of the COVID-19 prompted lockdowns and economic downturn.
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In 2020, a total of 974 unemployed people and 789 daily wage earners died by suicide during the pandemic-hit lockdown period accounting for over 54% of the total suicide victims in the state in 2020, the report showed. Out of 3,243 suicides in the year, 2,337 were male and 906 female, it added.
There is also an increase in the number of suicides among students. About 390 committed suicides in 2020 compared to 357 in 2019. According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), family problems accounted for 42.7% of the suicides in 2020, while love affairs also claimed 13.38% lives.