Maharashtra: 'March-June' lockdown period saw drop in farmer suicides

During the period of 'lockdown' from March to June, West Vidarbha has seen a drop in farmer suicides by 55 as compared to last year.

Farm experts and government officials cite various reasons for the drop. Loan waiver, which is expected to benefit more than 30 lakh farmers, was announced in the last week of December. 

Divisional Commissioner Piyush Singh said that he would go into the details and call for a report from each district to find out the reasons. It is an unfortunate thing that farmers in Vidarbha are on the verge of death due to drought, natural calamities, loans from moneylenders for education of children and marriage. In West Vidarbha, until recently, one farmer was dying every six to eight hours, according to a government report. 

In the six months from January to June in 2020, 471 farmers died by suicide in six districts, including five districts in Amravati division and Wardha in Nagpur division. During the four-month lockdown from March to June 2020, 271 farmer scommitted suicide. Last year, 326 farmers died by suicide during March-June 2019. 

In West Vidarbha, from January 1, 2001 to June 1, 2020, 17,508 farmers have committed suicide.