Farmer suicide cases continued unabated in the State with two more farmers ending their lives in Nabarangpur and Sambalpur districts while another distressed peasant was admitted at the hospital in Nuapada district after consuming poison in a bid to end life on Tuesday.
labanya Santa, a resident of Purunapani village under Nandahandi block, in Nabarangapur district, who had consumed pesticide on Monday night, died on Tuesday morning.
He was under deep mental pressure due to crop loss. He had grown paddy on three acres of land, but the crop got damaged due to scanty rainfall. Since he had taken Rs 30,000 of loan from various sources, he was in deep stress after the crop loss, according to his family.
Meanwhile, another farmer, Sushil Patra of Khagatipali village under Dhanakauda block in Sambalpur district, also committed suicide after drinking pesticide. He had borrowed Rs 50,000 from local moneylenders for cultivation on two acres of his land.
He was under mental stress after his crops were damaged due to poor rain. He had drunk pesticide two days ago and was admitted at the VIMSAR at Burla but died on Tuesday.
In another incident, another distressed farmer, Dhansae Sabar (55), was admitted at the Nuapada District Headquarters Hospital in a critical condition after he consumed pesticide.
Sabar, a resident of Nuapada block, attempted suicide in his house at Mahulbhata village. He had cultivated paddy in 16 acres of land out of which four acres belonged to him while the rest 12 acres was on sharecropping.
He had taken loans amounting to around Rs 50,000 from different sources.
“I did not get a single seed from the land because of drought. The moneylenders insisted on refund of the loan. I felt ashamed of stretching on assurances to pay back the loan,” said Dhansae after gaining consciousness.