Three farmers in western Odisha committed suicide on Tuesday allegedly over crop failure due to pest attack or scanty rainfall.
A farmer in Mundapara-Rasanpur village under Maneswar block in Sambalpur district committed suicide due to crop loss. Pest attack was said to be the reason behind his suicide.
Reports said Kahnu Munda (60) cultivated paddy in his own land and also in the shared land of the village. But during the last phase of the crop, brown grass hoppers damaged his crops.
And being unable to bear the loss and repay the loan, he ended his life by consuming poison, said family members and villagers.
After Kahnu consumed poison, family members and villagers had rushed him to the Government hospital, but he succumbed.
Kahnu’s daughter lilima alleged that all the efforts of her father to control pest failed as the pesticide didn’t work properly. So, he was remaining depressed most of the times and even openly discussing with the family members and villagers regarding his helplessness.
The death of Kahnu triggered sharp reaction in the locality. Many people alleged that the Government is not taking adequate precautionary measures to prevent suicides. “My father incurred loan of nearly `60, 000 from a SHG and also he brought fertiliser and pesticide from the local businessmen on loan,” she added.
Kahnu’s daughter further said her father cultivated paddy in three acres of land out of which only half acre belong to them. But pest attack destroyed the crop so also the life of my father,” said lilima with tearful eyes.
Maneswar Tehsildar Nirmal Nayak visited the village and the family members of the deceased farmer. He has made an assessment of the crop loss to prepare a report. “Compensation as per the relief code will be provided to the family members,” Nayak informed.
Similarly, a farmer of Kuarkela under Hemgiri block of Sundargarh district, Manoj Singh (45), reportedly consumed pesticides stored in his house on Monday evening. His family members came to know about the matter only when Manoj started vomiting, following which he was rushed to the Hemgiri Community Health Centre.
Doctors at the hospital attended to him immediately, but he died. Manoj is survived by his wife and three daughters.
In the other incident, in Nuapada district, Sagara Deep (48) of Bharuamunda village of Jatagarh GP committed suicide by consuming pesticide. He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in a subconscious stage. He died while undergoing treatment.
“Sagara had cultivated crops in five acres of land which completely failed due to scanty rainfall. That must have forced him to take this harsh decision,” said Basudev Jagat, a farmer of Bharuamumda. Sagara had also taken loan from the UGB of Tarbod, he added.
local organisation Garib Sena called for a road block on Wednesday demanding compensation for Sagara’s family.