Reeling under loss of crops to floods: Farmer suicides in Marathwada rise to 899; Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar among worst hit areas

Data from the Chhtrapati Sambhajinagar divisional commissioner’s office shows Marathwada recorded 899 farmer suicides in ten months from January to October this year, including 537 in six months (May 1 to October 31) when rains and floods wreaked havoc.

According to the data, the worst hit areas were Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts, which saw the highest number of farmer suicides. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded 112 suicides, Jalna – 32, Parbhani – 45, Hingoli – 33, Nanded – 90, Beed – 108, Latur – 47 and Dharashiv – 70 in the six months from May 1 to October 31.

A senior officer in the state agriculture ministry said, “I can say the number of farmer suicides in Marathwada have risen, which is a cause of alarm especially after the floods and rain that wrecked the lives of