Farmer ends life, kin alleges extreme step because of crop damage in unseasonal rain

A 50-year-old farmer from Dahanu allegedly committed suicide on his farm on Tuesday afternoon. According to his family, he took the step as post-monsoon showers

 A 50-year-old farmer from Dahanu allegedly committed suicide on his farm on Tuesday afternoon. According to his family, he took the step as post-monsoon showers had destroyed his paddy crop. Unseasonal rainfall lashed the district last week. “This is the first such suicide in the district,” said an official from the Dahanu tehsildar’s office.

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“We were expecting a good produce, but the rain destroyed it. My husband was worried and distressed,” said his wife. The Kasa police have registered a case of accidental death. “We have not found any suicide note from the spot,” said assistant police inspector Anand Kale of Kasa police station, adding the post-mortem report was awaited.

Dahanu tehsildar Rahul Sarang said: “We have sent a report to the revenue department. The government will decide if he is eligible for the ₹4-lakh compensation. Once we get the complete report from the Kasa police, the taluka agriculture officer and my observation will be sent to the government. The farmer had no bank loan on him, and we are checking whether he had insured his crop.”

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the chief secretary to conduct a survey to assess the damaged caused to crops in the state owing to the unseasonal rain. Political parties have been demanding that a wet drought be declared in the state.