1,555 farmers commit suicide in Maharashtra : Vijay Wadettiwar

Nagpur, September 23 : Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar disclosed that about 1,555 farmers have ended their lives by committing suicides in the state, which include 144 from Nagpur Division, between January 1 and July 31, 2023.

Speaking to a section of media here on Thursday, Wadettiwar sounded an alarm about the impending drought in Marathwada, which could exacerbate the crisis.

He highlighted that the Amaravati 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.

The senior Congress leader 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.

The former Maharashtra minister 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 further added