1,130 farmers committed suicides in Maharashtra in 2015.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
As India is witnessing severe drought, the state of Maharashtra has become the center of attention. With rising number of farmer suicides and deaths, the state is experiencing the worst effects of drought.
According to a report in The Indian Express, farmer suicides in eight districts of Marathwada, Maharashtra, has crossed 400 in just four months of this year. In the first four and a half months of 2016, 92 more farmers have committed suicides than in 2015.
Beed witnessed 60 deaths, followed by Aurangabad 64, Nanded 62, Latur 55, Osmanabad 54, Jalna 43, Parbhani 39 and Hingoli 26.
The state has been witnessing similar crisis for a few years with water bodies gone dry. Last year, the total number of farmer suicides stood at 1,130; 1,548 farmers have committed suicide in last 16 months.
The central government has provided the state with trains with 50 wagons containing 25 lakh liters of water.
“We have launched a number of schemes to halt the suicides of farmers in Marathwada and other parts of the state. Among the plans includes Food Security Act, critical illness, waiver of fees, counseling for farmers as also vigorous implementation of crop insurance. Since farmer suicides are growing, it is clear that our effort will take time to yield results,” Kishore Tiwari, who heads the state government-appointed Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlamban Mission was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
Villagers in some areas of the state trek more than two km. daily for a pot of water and keep their domestic water stocks under lock-and-key. Drought has also forced schools to shut down, marriages and other social events have been canceled or postponed and agriculture activities are at a complete standstill.