41% rise in suicide in farm sectors in 2015

The distress in the farm sector claimed the lives of 8,007 people in 2015, a 41% rise from the previous year, with Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka accounting for the maximum number of farmers’ suicide.

A total of 4,595 agricultural labourers also took their lives, taking the total number of suicides in the farming sector to 12,602, an increase from the 12,360 in 2014, according to the ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2015’ report.

Bankruptcy, debt and farming-related issues alone accounted for 58.18% (4,659) suicides, a trend which was witnessed in the previous years, too.

“The highly erratic/inadequate monsoon in the last two to three years has aggravated the problems for persons engaged in the farming sector, manifestations of these in extreme situations can be seen in the form of farmers’ suicides,” the report by National Crime Records Bureau said.

The majority of farmers’ suicides were reported in Maharashtra (3,030), followed by Telangana (1,358) and Karnataka (1,197). But if one adds the suicides of agricultural labourers, Karnataka rises to second position (1,569), only below Maharashtra (4,291).

An analysis of the figures showed a reversal in the trend in suicides among farmers and labourers.

While in 2014, the number of suicides of labourers (6,710) was higher compared to that of the farmers (5,650), it was reversed in 2015.

When it comes to the cause of suicides among farmers, Karnataka had more reasons to worry as 79% (946 out of 1,197) suicides were due to bankruptcy or debt.

This was also the cause for 42.7% suicides in Maharashtra and 46.5% in Telangana.