The Hindu : National : Wave of suicides in Vidarbha

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Saturday, Jul 24, 2004

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Wave of suicides in Vidarbha

By Arunkumar Bhatt

NAGPUR, JULY 23. A new wave of farmers' suicides — 13 new cases including five in Narkhed taluk of Nagpur district — has rocked the drought-torn Vidarbha region of Maharashtra as the third sowing also failed for want of rain and the State Government diluted its relief plan.

Five farmers, including a woman and two youths have ended their lives in Narkhed taluk in the last 24 hours. Their cotton, tuvar (pulse) and soyabean sowings have failed to sprout. The 50-year-old woman farmer, Jijabai Revatkar of Pimpalgaon, and Sanjay Nagmote, 35, of Manekwada were further distressed when 400 of their orange trees dried up.

Orange growers

The joining of orange growers, who are relatively better off, to the ranks of the farmers committing suicides shows the seriousness of the problem.

The Narkhed taluk panchayat chairperson, Vandana Ramtekke, told The Hindu that so far eight farmers had ended their lives after the failure of two to three sowings, further increasing their debts including outstanding power bills. Had the State Government included Narkhed taluk among the drought-hit, the farmers could have hoped for some relief. "How many more farmers does the Government want to get killed?"Two days ago, the Maharashtra Government declared a "scarcity-like situation" in Vidarbha but only in 22 of the 119 taluks.

Narkhed is not among them, according to reports reaching here from Mumbai.

None of the 16 taluks in Yavatmal district, which has recorded the maximum number of suicides — over 103 in the last two years and about 17 among the 41 this rainy season — is included in the 22.

Among other suicides are three in Yavatmal, two in Gadchiroli, and one each in Akola, Amravati and Buldhana districts.

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