Eight farmers died by suicide a day from Jan 2022 to June 2026 in Maharashtra: RTI

MUMBAI: Over eight farmers died by suicide every day in Maharashtra between January 2022 and June 2026, according to official data released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act

MUMBAI: Over eight farmers died by suicide every day in Maharashtra between January 2022 and June 2026, according to official data released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Eight farmers died by suicide a day from Jan 2022 to June 2026 in Maharashtra: RTI

Figures provided by the state government’s relief and rehabilitation department show that 13,128 farmers took their own lives during this 54-month period, an average of more than 250 deaths every month.

Of the total cases recorded, 8,145 were found eligible for the state’s ex-gratia compensation of ₹1 lakh for surviving family members. A further 4,042 applications were rejected on various technical grounds, whilst 941 cases remain under scrutiny.

Even among those deemed eligible, support has lagged: 7,850 families have received the ₹1 lakh payout, leaving 295 households still awaiting assistance.

The data was obtained by activist Jitendra Ghadge, who noted that the department provided the figures only after he filed an appeal with the first appellate authority. “I was initially denied district-wise figures,” Ghadge said. “District-level breakdowns are critical because they show exactly where distress is concentrated and which schemes require urgent reform. The government must look beyond raw statistics and recognise the human tragedy behind every death.”

“I also recommended targeting welfare schemes directly at high-distress farming clusters, setting up taluka-level monitoring committees, and issuing green ration cards to vulnerable farmers so all welfare benefits could be streamlined,” Ghadge added. “Implementing these measures could have helped prevent many of these deaths.”

With large swathes of Maharashtra currently reeled by drought, Ghadge urged the state government to take immediate measures to address agricultural distress and halt the rising toll.