Northern Range police launch awareness drive for college girls on suicide & self-immolation prevention

Sambalpur (Odisha) [India], August 13(ANI): The Northern Range Police in Odisha has initiated a suicide and self-immolation prevention drive across colleges in five districts, focusing on mental health awareness, resilience-building, and helpline outreach, with active participation from police officials, educators, and community members.
According to the statement, the five districts are Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, and Sonepur.
The initiative, led by the Inspector General (IG) of Northern Range and all district Superintendents of Police (SPs), features interactive sessions, counselling workshops, expert lectures, and information on available helpline services.
According to police officials, the campaign is designed to promote mental health awareness, encourage resilience, and motivate students to seek timely professional help.
The Northern Range Police has appealed to college administrations, parents, and community members to actively collaborate in building a safe and supportive environment for the youth.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Odisha Minister Nityananda Gond had clarified that the tragic death of a 13-year-old girl from Bargarh, who died after self-immolating, did not occur in school and the cause remains unclear.
He further emphasised the government's commitment to girls' safety in schools through Internal Complaint Committees and efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.
"The incident did not take place in the school. It happened behind her house. The reason for the same is not yet clear. Our government is working for the girls' safety in the schools. There are Internal Complaint Committees at the school levels... The government will make sure that such incidents don't take place in the future," he said.
On Monday, a 13-year-old girl died after she allegedly immolated herself in Odisha's Bargarh, police said.
The victim was admitted to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
"Investigation is going on, and as per law, action will be taken. Three to four teams have been formed, and interrogation is underway... The girl has died and her postmortem is going on," said Inspector General (Northern Range), Himanshu Lal. (ANI)