Bangalore has retained its dubious distinction as the suicide capital of the country by recording 1,778 suicides during 2010, the highest for any city.
This is the second consecutive year Karnataka's capital has bagged the tag. In 2009, the number was 2,167, much more than 2010.
According to the statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in New Delhi on Thursday, Bangalore is followed by Chennai, which recorded 1,325 suicides, Delhi 1,242 and Mumbai 1,192.
A big chunk
The four cities together reported almost 40.5 per cent of the suicides reported from 35 big cities. Patna reported a maximum increase of 136.5 per cent (from 64 suicides in 2009 to 149 in 2010). Dhanbad saw the maximum decline of 60.5 per cent (152 in 2009 to 60 in 2010) over 2009.
The number of suicides in 35 big cities went up during 2006-2007. Thereafter it decreased from 14,336 in 2007 to 13,071 in 2008 then rose to 13,503 in 2009, and to 13,675 in 2010.
The country reported 1,34,599 suicides in 2010, an increase of 5.9 per cent over the previous year's (2009) 1,27,151.
Tamil Nadu has reported the highest number (16,561), accounting for 12.3 per cent of the total suicides followed by West Bengal (16,037), Maharashtra (15,916), Andhra Pradesh (15,901) and Karnataka (12,651), accounting for 11.9 per cent, 11.8 per cent, 11.8 per cent and 9.4 per cent respectively.
“These five States together accounted for 57.2 per cent of total suicides reported in the country. The remaining 42.8 per cent were reported in the rest of 23 States and seven Union Territories,” the NCRB report stated.
Blame urbanisation
According to G. Gururaj, Professor and Head of Department of Epidemiology, NIMHANS, Bangalore's high suicide rate is due to “increasing urbanisation, industrialisation, migration of people from rural areas and consequent changes in lifestyle”. He had recently told The Hindu more counselling centres and helplines, and making these part of the public health system can make a difference.
