Drought-prone Vidarbha braces for debt suicides again as activists fear numbers soaring high due to crop failure

A spell of drought in Maharashtra has sparked fears of a spurt in suicides by farmers in the Vidarbha region again. Nearly a thousand debt-ridden farmers in the region ended their lives last year. Activists and farmer groups believe the figure could easily double this year as most parts of the state are reeling under drought .

At least 10 farmers had already committed suicide till January 15 - three of them killing themselves on January 14 alone.

"We fear that the suicide figure would be definitely higher this year. The lack of rains is bound to result in crop failures throughout the state, with farmers suffering huge losses. We are also sure that the state government, like always, will do little to help them, leaving them with no option but to take the extreme step," Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an organisation that has been fighting for farmers, said.

Worried by the situation, the state government has held a number of meetings and is making arrangements for transporting drinking water and cattle feed to the drought-prone areas.

However, farmers say insensitive politicians and bureaucrats use the drought only to fill their pockets.

"The politicians from the Congress and NCP are simply interested in earning money, for them every disaster is an opportunity to earn money," alleged Raju Shetti, MP from Hatakanaggale in Kolhapur the leader of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.

"It's a common knowledge that false bills are generated for providing tanker water and cattle feed shelters. The money is actually pocketed by officials and the politicians."

Shetti said things could be different only if the Centre steps in, for the state government lacks the will to do anything. "We have toured the drought-hit villages. All the farmers there have the same thing to say - that they are fed up of waiting for government measure every year. The central government should form a permanent authority to implement programme for drought hit areas in all parts of the country. That is the only effective solution," Shetti said.

Tiwari of VJAS said a strong and effective regulatory mechanism could also improve the situation."There is black marketing of seeds, fertilizers and even pesticides. There are dummy seeds being sold. The farmers are being fleeced from all the fronts. So they are often forced to borrow huge amounts of money and thus fall into the trap of money lenders," he said.