Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, disclosed that a total of 1,555 farmers have tragically taken their own lives in the state up until July 31 this year. These grim statistics have ignited concerns, particularly in the face of an impending drought, prompting questions about the government's awareness and response to the situation.
Wadettiwar highlighted that 13 districts across the state have experienced below-average rainfall over the past one and a half months, exacerbating the distressing conditions faced by farmers. The Congress leader attributed the reported surge in farmer suicides to the combination of drought-like conditions and alleged apathy from the Eknath Shinde government.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Wadettiwar shared distressing statistics. He revealed that the Amravati division had the highest number of farmer suicides, with a staggering 637 cases reported in the first seven months of this year. Among these, 183 farmers took their lives in Amravati district, while the numbers stood at 173 in Buldhana, 149 in Yavatmal, 94 in Akola, and 38 in Washim.
Wadettiwar also drew attention to the Aurangabad division, where 584 farmer suicides were recorded. In Nashik division, 174 such deaths were reported, while Nagpur and Pune divisions witnessed 144 and 16 farmer suicides, respectively. Notably, no farmer suicides were documented in the Konkan division, Pune, and Kolhapur districts.
According to Wadettiwar, the month of June was particularly grim, with 233 farmer suicides during that period. The numbers for the other months were equally distressing: 226 in January, 192 in February, 226 in March, 225 in April, 224 in May, and 229 in July.
Expressing his concern, Wadettiwar questioned the government's response to this dire situation, urging it to declare a drought officially.
To shed light on the crisis, Wadettiwar shared rainfall data, emphasizing the significant rainfall deficits in various districts. Sangli received 45 per cent less rainfall than the average, Nanded 19 per cent less, Solapur 35 per cent less, Aurangabad 27 per cent less, Satara 40 per cent less, Jalna 43 per cent less, Beed 43 per cent less, Osmanabad 32 per cent less, Parbhani 31 per cent less, Amravati 30 per cent less, Washim 22 per cent less, and Akola 29 per cent less.
The alarming increase in farmer suicides in the midst of a looming drought has raised serious concerns about the welfare of Maharashtra's agricultural community and the government's ability to address their plight effectively.