Seven farmers have ended their lives in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in the last three days, according to Kishor Tiwari, the Chairperson of the State government-appointed Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission.
The farmers were identified as Sudhir Golar of Pandharkawada (Yavatmal), Ratanlal Dhurve of Nardu (Amravati), Pravin More of Lonbahel (Yavatmal), Gunwant Madavi of Amboda (Wardha), Roshan Mahekar of Mahadevpura (Amravati), Sovinda Raut of Navegaon Dam (Gondia), and Maroti Nahgamkar of Ghosari (Chandrapur).
"In 2022, as many as 1,060 have ended their lives. Of these 26 farmers have died by suicide in the last 13 days, out of which 14 suicides have been reported in the last seven days,” Tiwari said.
According to him, eight farmers died by suicide in Maregaon taluka of Yavatmal district alone.
Tiwari said that the record rainfall in the region has led to huge crop losses.
"In the last 25 years more than 28,000 farmers' suicides were reported among the cotton and soybean farmers in West Vidarbha but now paddy farmers in East Vidarbha are ending their lives," he said, adding that the situation is reaching alarming levels.
In a statement, Tiwari said that unless the cost of cultivation is not reduced, newly developed techniques are not introduced, soil health, and protective irrigation are not addressed, productivity will not increase.
Decisions on the planning of pulses and oilseed crops in place the cash crop area and the subsidy for the same, the policy of providing a five-year farm credit, and the crop insurance scheme that saves the lives of farmers should be implemented immediately. Along with that, ongoing uncontrolled administrative, political, and social corruption needs to be stopped which has completely spoiled the economic, mental, physical, spiritual, and social health of rural Vidarbha.