Agonised over crop failure, a farmer in Tiruvarur district allegedly committed suicide on Saturday. Adding to the gloom, four more farmers in Thanjavur district died during the day, reportedly due to stress caused by mounting debts as a result of crop loss.
Vijayakumar (55) of Venkathankudi near here was in distress over the mounting loss due to samba paddy crop failure for the past few days. He was found hanging from a tree on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Kumbakonam region of Thanjavur district, four more farmers — Perumal (65) of Thirukarugavur, Uthrapathy (64) of Keezhamaruthuvakudi near Aduthurai, Mohammed Ansari (61) of Thathuvanchery and A. Mahadevan (60) of Cholan Maligai — have died, reportedly due to shock over crop failure.
Apparently distraught over his inability to pay the interest on an agricultural loan, a 75-year-old farmer died of cardiac arrest in Mallasamudram near Tiruchengode on Friday.
The deceased, identified as Muthu Gounder of Thattapangadu, owned a 9.5-acre land on which he grew sugarcane and maize. He had obtained a loan of ₹1 lakh from the Mallasamudram Cooperative Society to fund his farming activities.
However, his crops withered due to poor rainfall and he subsequently received a notice from the society, asking him to pay the interest on his loan by January 9. Distressed over his inability to pay the amount, he died of a cardiac arrest on Friday evening, police sources said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
