Upset over the damage caused by cyclonic storm Jawad to his paddy crops, a farmer in Ganjam district allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide. The deceased has been identified as Kailash, a resident of Ulum village under Patrapur block in the district.
According to the family members, Kailash, who had grown paddy on his two acres of farmland, had gone to see the crops on Sunday morning after the cyclone Jawad triggered heavy rain. He was very depressed after seeing the extent of damage to his standing paddy crops and consumed pesticide, alleged the family members.
“He had gone to his farmland in the morning and was very upset after seeing the damage caused to his crop by the cyclone. He then bought pesticide and consumed it. The family members learned about it when he started vomiting,” said Deepak Dalai, a relative of the deceased.
“We dialled 108 and rushed him to a hospital in Patrapur. However, about half an hour later, the doctor pronounced him dead,” he added.
The reactions of the district administration, as well as the police, could not be obtained on the matter.
Cyclone Jawad that reached near Odisha coast near Puri on Sunday noon, moved towards the West Bengal coast. Under the impact of the storm, several coastal districts in the State experienced heavy rainfall. The farming community in the State bore the maximum brunt of the heavy downpour in this harvesting season.
Earlier on Saturday, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena had said that the assessment of the crop loss caused by cyclone Jawad-induced rainfall will be done within a week after its impact is over.