Eight farmers committed suicide in nine months in Raichur

Crop loss and the burden of loan led them to take the extreme step

July 09, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:42 am IST - RAICHUR:

Eight farmers have committed suicide in just nine months in Raichur district owing mainly to a crisis in the farm sector. Most of these suicides are reported from irrigated villages in Sindhanur taluk.

The latest victim was 40-year-old Basappa Shille from K. Basapur village in Sindhanur taluk. He hanged himself at his house on Monday after he was unable to repay a loan of Rs. 4 lakh.

It all began when 28-year-old Sabanna from Ragalaparvi village in Sindhanur taluk committed suicide on November 5 last year. Crop loss and the burden of loan led him to take the extreme step. He had taken Rs. 3 lakh as loan from SyndicateBank and was unable to repay it owing to crop loss.

Worsening situation

The situation worsened this year with the suicide of 60-year-old Ramesh Naik from Ramanal village in Deodurg taluk on February 27. He lost the cotton and chilly crops on his three acres of land due to scarcity of water and was unable to repay Rs. 5 lakh taken as private loan. He hanged himself on a tree near his field. Depressed by the loss of the standing paddy crop on his 2.5 acres of land and another 3.5 acres that he had taken on lease, in the pre-monsoon downpour, Nagappa Kurubar (38) from Malkapur village in Sindhanur taluk committed suicide on April 24.

He had a loan of Rs. 70,000 at Pragathi Krishna Gramin Bank apart from some private loans.

The very next day, disheartened by the loss of the paddy crop on his 8 acres of land and another 8 acres of lands that he had taken on lease in the pre-monsoon rain, Honnappa Kavali (60) from K. Basapur village in Sindhanur taluk died of heart attack.

On May 6, Mallappa Waddar (65) from Malkapur village in Sindhanur taluk committed suicide as his standing paddy crop on 4.16 acres of land was destroyed in the unseasonal rain. He had a loan of Rs. 70,000 at local agricultural cooperative society, apart from having another Rs. 3 lakh private loan.

On June 20, Rangayya Dasara (35) from Jeenur Camp in Manvi taluk ended his life by consuming pesticide.

He had cultivated paddy on 1.2 acres of land owned by him and on another 20 acres that he had taken on lease. Most of his standing crop was destroyed in pre-monsoon rains. His defeat in the recently concluded gram panchayat election by just nine votes was an additional blow for him.

On July 2, Srinivas (45) from U. Durga Camp near Maski town ended his life by consuming pesticide.

He had cultivated paddy on 10 acres of land that he had taken on lease and spent Rs. 2 lakh on it by taking a private loan. The crop was destroyed in pre-monsoon rain.

Most of them were from the irrigated villages in Sindhanur taluk

It all began when Sabanna from Ragalaparvi village committed suicide on November 5

Most of them were from the irrigated villages in Sindhanur taluk

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