Nagpur: Farmers suicides have reached alarming levels in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, an NGO, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJS), which works for widows of farmers who commit suicides because of financial problems, said here on Thursday after nine farmers allegedly ended their lives in the last three days.
Incessant rain and subsequent flooding in the region has led to huge crop losses. Now they do not even have money to sow the next crop. The situation is such that it has become difficult for their families to even arrange their daily bread. As a result, farmers are taking extreme steps of suicides, the VJS said.
The farmers who allegedly ended their lives were identified as : Ganesh Ade (40), Lata Chahule (55), Swapnil Pachbhai (32), Brijesh Hade (33), Shankar Danke (70), Sagar Dhole (33), Satish Mohod (34), Mangesh Satkhede (42), Bhaskar Pardhi (40).
Out of these farmers, five are from Yavatmal district alone. Yavatmal is the worst affected by the rains in Vidarbha.
Four of these farmers allegedly ended their lives by hanging themselves, while the remaining five allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticides, said the sources adding that most of them were owner of small land.
Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Washim and Wardha districts in Vidarbha were the worst affected by the floods.
The farmers are upset due to the incessant rains. They are also not getting any relief from banks and other lenders.
The government should immediately provide loans to farmers to sow Rabi crops. Apart from this, financial assistance and loan waiver should be announced for the farmers, the VJS said.
