Odisha Farmer Ends Life Over Crop Damage, Debt Burden

A farmer from Balasore district in Odisha allegedly ended his life over crop damage on account of adverse weather and debt burden. He took the extreme step by consuming poison several days back, but died on Tuesday.

As per reports, Samarendra Kundu, a resident of Khoerda village under Bhograi Block of the district earned his living from agriculture. Kundu had taken around Rs 12 lakh loan from different sources, including a bank, cooperative credit society and private persons. He had spent the money on paddy cultivation which later got damaged during the low-pressure induced rainfall earlier this month.

Kundu was under depression for many days following the loss of the ripe crop. Feeling helpless over the debt burden and the huge loss, Kundu allegedly consumed poison around a week back. His family members rushed him to a nearby hospital in the district from where he was later moved to a hospital in Cuttack when his condition deteriorated. 

He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the Cuttack hospital today.

"He did not own any land. He was doing farming on crop-share arrangements with the owner of a land. He incurred huge losses following the damage to the crop during bad weather conditions. He took the extreme step of ending his life owing to the pressure of the debt burden," said Kundu's wife Shantilata.

On the other hand, Revenue Official in Kamarda, Basanti Hembram said, "I have no information about what pushed him to take such an extreme step. What I have gathered from others, he might have ended his life due to the crop loss."