<p>Kalaburagi: The recent floods and heavy rain have taken a severe toll on the mental health of farmers in the Bhima river basin.</p>.<p>Grappling with depression, anxiety and uncertainty about the future, many farmers in Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Bidar have been driven to despair.</p>.<p>In Kalaburagi district alone, more than 3.5 lakh farmers have been affected, according to the government’s preliminary survey. With over 80% of them tenant farmers who have lost crops on leased land, they are struggling to pay land owners the annual rent. What has made the situation desperate is that though they have invested lakhs of rupees on cultivation, they are not entitled to government compensation as the land is not in their name.</p>.<p>Tenant farmers are small land holders who take land on lease annually for cultivation. The region faced severe floods in 2019, 2009 and 2004 too.</p>.<p>Mareppa Barma, a 42-year old farmer from Basavapattana village in Kalaburagi taluk, died by suicide last week after being dejected over crop loss due to heavy rain and flood. He had taken a bank loan of Rs 2.5 lakh to grow tur and cotton on two acres of his own land and on 10 acres of leased land. </p>.<p>“My brother was paying an annual rent of Rs 25,000 per acre. He had borrowed money to pay the land owner, but he lost the entire crop. The landowner will not pay us the government compensation for crop loss,” Mareppa’s brother Kushal Talawar said.</p>.<p>Shantappa Talawar of Bedakapalli village in Chincholi taluk ended his life after he lost tur and green gram crops on two acres of his land and 50 acres of dry land taken on lease at Rs 20,000 an acre.</p>.<p>“There is stiff competition among tenant farmers, resulting in an increase of annual rent, up to Rs 30,000 an acre. Flash floods have dashed our hopes of a good yield, forcing us to migrate to cities. We have to start from scratch,” said farmer R B Patil of Kona Hipparagi village in Jevargi taluk.</p>.<p>Many landless farmers in 88 flood-hit villages of Kalaburagi district have migrated to cities in search of livelihood. </p>.Maharashtra announces Rs 31,628 crore relief package for flood-hit farmers.<p>Agriculture Department Joint Director Samad Patel said compensation has been distributed to families of 25 farmers who ended their lives since April. </p>.<p>“We are counselling distressed farmers besides assuring them about early compensation and a special package from the government. We are giving them moral support by organising training programmes to prevent suicides,” he added.</p>.<p>District in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge said tenants as well as landowners are facing problems and a humanitarian approach will help everyone. </p>.<p>“We have to go by norms in distributing compensation. It is not a problem plaguing only Kalaburagi or Karnataka. It is also not the first time this has happened. We have to see how to overcome this,” he added.</p>.<p>Highlights</p><p>Dire situation Over 3.5 lakh farmers have been affected in Kalaburagi district alone More than 80% of them are tenant farmers who have lost crops on leased land Farmers are now struggling to pay land owners the annual rent Many landless farmers in 88 flood-hit villages of Kalaburagi district have migrated to cities</p>
<p>Kalaburagi: The recent floods and heavy rain have taken a severe toll on the mental health of farmers in the Bhima river basin.</p>.<p>Grappling with depression, anxiety and uncertainty about the future, many farmers in Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Bidar have been driven to despair.</p>.<p>In Kalaburagi district alone, more than 3.5 lakh farmers have been affected, according to the government’s preliminary survey. With over 80% of them tenant farmers who have lost crops on leased land, they are struggling to pay land owners the annual rent. What has made the situation desperate is that though they have invested lakhs of rupees on cultivation, they are not entitled to government compensation as the land is not in their name.</p>.<p>Tenant farmers are small land holders who take land on lease annually for cultivation. The region faced severe floods in 2019, 2009 and 2004 too.</p>.<p>Mareppa Barma, a 42-year old farmer from Basavapattana village in Kalaburagi taluk, died by suicide last week after being dejected over crop loss due to heavy rain and flood. He had taken a bank loan of Rs 2.5 lakh to grow tur and cotton on two acres of his own land and on 10 acres of leased land. </p>.<p>“My brother was paying an annual rent of Rs 25,000 per acre. He had borrowed money to pay the land owner, but he lost the entire crop. The landowner will not pay us the government compensation for crop loss,” Mareppa’s brother Kushal Talawar said.</p>.<p>Shantappa Talawar of Bedakapalli village in Chincholi taluk ended his life after he lost tur and green gram crops on two acres of his land and 50 acres of dry land taken on lease at Rs 20,000 an acre.</p>.<p>“There is stiff competition among tenant farmers, resulting in an increase of annual rent, up to Rs 30,000 an acre. Flash floods have dashed our hopes of a good yield, forcing us to migrate to cities. We have to start from scratch,” said farmer R B Patil of Kona Hipparagi village in Jevargi taluk.</p>.<p>Many landless farmers in 88 flood-hit villages of Kalaburagi district have migrated to cities in search of livelihood. </p>.Maharashtra announces Rs 31,628 crore relief package for flood-hit farmers.<p>Agriculture Department Joint Director Samad Patel said compensation has been distributed to families of 25 farmers who ended their lives since April. </p>.<p>“We are counselling distressed farmers besides assuring them about early compensation and a special package from the government. We are giving them moral support by organising training programmes to prevent suicides,” he added.</p>.<p>District in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge said tenants as well as landowners are facing problems and a humanitarian approach will help everyone. </p>.<p>“We have to go by norms in distributing compensation. It is not a problem plaguing only Kalaburagi or Karnataka. It is also not the first time this has happened. We have to see how to overcome this,” he added.</p>.<p>Highlights</p><p>Dire situation Over 3.5 lakh farmers have been affected in Kalaburagi district alone More than 80% of them are tenant farmers who have lost crops on leased land Farmers are now struggling to pay land owners the annual rent Many landless farmers in 88 flood-hit villages of Kalaburagi district have migrated to cities</p>