At least 12 farmers died within two months in Krishna District, including one farmer who had taken his life by consuming pesticide following severe damage of the standing paddy crop, during the ongoing kharif season.
Repeated cyclones are to be blamed for the prevailing crisis like situation as well as farmers’ deaths, apart from decrease in the total paddy yield in the above 2 lakh hectares of sown area, said a report.
Three fact finding teams on farmers’ deaths from the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Kuli Sangam (APRKS) documented the number and apparent reasons behind the 12 deaths, including one suicide. “Of the 12, one had consumed pesticide.
Many of them were declared dead due to cardiac arrest while they were undergoing medical treatment. However, all of them are tenant farmers who bore the brunt from the bad weather conditions,” said APRKS member J. Jagan.
On Monday, the APRKS released their report on farmers’ suicides and submitted a copy to Krishna district Collector M. Raghunandan Rao, appealing him to address three major issues.
The issues were repairing of drainage system and stop encouraging B.P.T Paddy variety of seed. It was found that the B.P.T variety could not withstand the repeated changes in the weather, both - heavy winds or rain.
The teams also revealed that absence of Rabi crop in the large extent of cultivable land for past few years in Krishna District was creating fear among the farmers about the bleak future in paddy cultivation.
“Purchasing the discoloured paddy at MSP price and liberalising the guidelines meant for enumeration of damaged paddy crop are the very immediate help that Government could extend to prevent the deaths,” observed APRKS fact-finding team member T. Leela Manohar .
