Bargarh: In a span of only five days, another farmer committed suicide in the district allegedly due to crop loss in Tora village under Sadar block here on Monday. On Wednesday, another farmer had killed himself.
In the latest incident, family sources said, farmer Akshya Dharei had cultivated paddy over nine acres of his land. He had taken Rs 2 lakh loan from a cooperative society to buy fertilisers, pesticides and meet other expenses and had hoped for a bumper harvest this year. A swarm of grasshoppers caused damage to standing crops.Moreover, scanty rainfall also wreaked havoc, sources added.
Dharei was under pressure to repay loan. On Sunday, he consumed pesticide and was rushed to District Headquarters Hospital where he died last night while undergoing treatment.
In the previous incident of farmer suicide, Indra Bariha had killed himself by consuming pesticide allegedly also due to crop loss at Malamunda under Gaisilat block, also in Bargarh district. His family members had alleged that he was under severe mental agony due to drought.
His drastic step had come a day after the Chief Minister announced special package for drought-hit farmers in the State.