Alarming! 7 farmers die in 7 days owing to alleged crop loss in Odisha

In an alarming situation, unseasonal and incessant rainfalls in Odisha that wreaked havoc causing massive crop loss in December have also allegedly claimed the lives of at least seven farmers within a span of about seven days.

Reports from different parts of the state recorded farmers either taking their own lives or succumbing to ‘shock’ after allegedly witnessing the destruction of their crops following the recent spell of rains at times of harvest and paddy procurement.

In the most recent case, a farmer from Sarana village under Balikuda police station in Jagatsinghpur district took his own life on Monday allegedly due to pressure and shock from crop loss.

Sources reported that the deceased, identified as Krutibas Swain, had gone to harvest paddy along with his brother and crumbled to grief over the large-scale loss of crops. After returning home in the evening, he reportedly hanged himself inside the house.

Family members stated that Swain was in a state of extreme worry as a huge portion of his harvest was ravaged by the unseasonal rains. Further, he was also under financial stress owing to accrued debts for medical expenses of his family.

Meanwhile, though police reached the spot and carried out an investigation, they did not offer any comments.

The incident came right after two farmers died on December 28 in separate cases. While one paddy farmer, Manibhadra Mohanty, from Chikana village in Jajpur passed away after allegedly falling unconscious upon seeing his destroyed crops, another sharecropper, Daitari Jena, in Kendrapara allegedly ended his life after consuming pesticide.

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Similarly, on December 26, one farmer allegedly killed himself in Ganjam district whereas another one suffered a heart attack seeing his damaged crops in Kendrapara. More unfortunately, on December 23, a 75-year-old farmer from Dungara village in Puri died of alleged shock after crop loss.

It is pertinent to note that the Odisha Government has taken all necessary steps to ensure adequate compensation and relief to farmers at this time of crisis.

Along with a damage assessment visit by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and other ministers to the affected regions, the state has announced the extension of compensation to all farmers, even to those who do not grow paddy.

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Additionally, an extension of the claim registration period along with an advisory to insurance companies urging sensitivity towards farmers has also been issued by the state government.