Nagpur: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, disclosed a grim reality on Thursday, revealing that 1,555 farmers in Maharashtra, which include 144 from Nagpur Division, took their own lives between January 1 and July 31.
He sounded an alarm about the impending drought in Marathwada, which could exacerbate the crisis. Wadettiwar highlighted that the Amaravati revenue division in western Vidarbha reported the highest number of farmer suicides, totaling 637.
In Marathwada’s Aurangabad division, 584 farmers ended their lives, while in Nasik division in northern Maharashtra, 174 such tragic incidents occurred. In the Nagpur division of East Vidarbha, 144 farmers took this drastic step, while Pune division in western Maharashtra recorded 16 farmer suicides.
Disturbingly, Wadettiwar pointed out that districts in Marathwada had received less than 50 percent of the average rainfall. The figures reveal a distressing reality, with Aurangabad, Jalna, and Osmanabad receiving only 27 percent, 43 percent, and 32 percent of the average rainfall, respectively.
In Beed and Parbhani, the average rainfall stands at 43 percent and 31 percent, respectively. June witnessed the highest number of farmer suicides, a total of 233.
Wadettiwar criticized the Maharashtra government for its apparent lack of attention to the escalating crisis. The rain deficit continues to grow, and the government has yet to announce any measures to address the situation, he emphasized.
