1,618 Maharashtra farmers have ended their lives in seven months

Yavatmal, Amaravati in Vidarbha and Beed in Marathwada continue to top the districts in terms of highest number of suicides

Even as the Maharashtra government is in the process of implementing a Rs34,000-crore farm loan waiver, as many as 1,618 farmers ended their lives between January and July this year, against the 1,748 suicides during the period in last year.

A farm loan waiver was announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 2. (FILE)

A total of 462 farmers ended their lives in two months, even after a waiver was announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 2.

According to the data collated by the relief and rehabilitation department of the state government, the highest number of suicides were in the 11 districts of Vidarbha, at 737 in seven months, followed by 536 in the eight districts of Marathwada region.

Yavatmal, Amaravati in Vidarbha and Beed in Marathwada continue to top the districts in terms of highest number of suicides.

In the first two weeks of August, 44 farmers committed suicides alone in Maharashtra, taking the total number to 580 till August 13 this year. The highest among them were from Beed at 115.

“Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a blanket loan waiver on June 2, while the package of Rs 34,022 crore was announced on June 24. Neither in month of June, nor in July after the actual amount of the waiver and the beneficiaries was announced, the number of suicides receded. This is worrisome as both the months have witnessed moderate rainfall. We expect the trend of suicides to take a halt after the amount of the waiver is credited to their accounts,” said an official from the state cooperation department.