After rain kills crop, farmer downs pesticide in Palghar

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old tribal farmer in Palghar district ended his life this week after losing his rice crop to the unseasonal, post-monsoon rain that caused massive damage in various parts of the state.
Dharma Jadhav consumed pesticide in his paddy field in Dharampur-Zirwapada in Dahanu taluka on Tuesday afternoon. His rice crop had been submerged in knee-deep water in the October rainfall.
Palghar district received excess rainfall last month, ranging from 20% to 59% in different parts.The state recorded 161.6 mm rainfall, 127% more than the normal October rainfall of 71.1 mm.
Jadhav had collapsed in the field and was noticed by villagers, who alerted his family. He was taken to the government hospital, where he was declared dead.
Jadhav’s son, Dinesh (20), said his father had gone to the field hoping that the accumulated rainwater would have gone down and he would be able to lay out the crop for drying. The family was not aware that he had carried with him a bottle of pesticide.
In April last year, Dhanaji Jangli (60), a tribal farmer in Jawhar taluka of Palghar district, hanged himself in his farm after he lost his crop to pest attack and could not repay a Rs 42,000 loan.
Dinesh said the harvesting of the crop had been on schedule and threshing had begun in the last week of September. He said that they had managed to keep aside some rice for consumption and were hoping to get the remainder ready for the market.
Dinesh said the family cultivated a small piece of land and had hoped the good rainfall of June and July would result in a satisfactory yield. The rain last month dashed his hopes, said Dinesh in his police statement.
No suicide note was found, said the police.
“As no suicide note was found the police will verify the claim made by the family and submit a report to the district administration,” API Anand Kale said.
Jadhav’s wife, Magli, said in her police statement that her husband was depressed after the crop was destroyed last month.
The police said the autopsy report was awaited.
Dahanu tehsildar Rahul Sarang a report from the agriculture officer and the police was awaited. He said a report would be submitted to the state and a decision on giving Rs 4 lakh compensation would be taken.
District officials found that Jadhav did not have any bank loan. “We are ascertaining if he had insured his crop,” Sarang said.
On Sunday, Palghar member of Parliament Rajendra Gavit visited a few affected villages, including Dharampur and Waghadi in Dahanu.
Over 14,000 hectares of rice cultivation is undertaken in Dahanu and Wada talukas.
Between 2015 and 2018, over 12,000 farmer suicides were reported in the state.
Jadhav’s suicide was followed by another farmer taking his own life in Yavatmal district on Wednesday. Distressed over crop loss in the unseasonal rain, the debt-ridden farmer, Gajanan Ramji Shiradkar (47), hanged himself from a tree at Malkinhi village of Mahagaon taluka.
Shiradkar owned a fouracre farm and had sowed cotton and soyabean.
( With inputs from T O Abraham in Yavatmal)