Rain Fury, Failed Crops and Farmer Suicides in MP, UP

This year should have yielded a bumper harvest. Instead, unseasonal rains destroyed crops and livelihoods in UP, MP.

The recent spell of unseasonal rain and hailstorms has inflicted a telling blow on farmers’ livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and several other states across the country. In a cruel turn, the heavy downpour destroyed crops that would have yielded a bountiful harvest this season.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district, 25-year-old Bhupendra shot himself after heavy losses to his standing potato crop. Though there was bumper production this year, inadequate storage led to the rotting of the potatoes. Unable to recover even the initial amount he spent, Bhupendra chose to kill himself. Bhupendra is survived by his wife and three-year old son. Bhupendra’s father Dharampal recounts the ordeal that forced the young man to end his life.

In Tundla Tehsil of Uttar Pradesh, 55-year-old Bhajanlal had pinned all his hopes on the wheat and jowar production this season. But untimely rains wreaked havoc on the crops leaving him in huge debt. Unable to bear the pain and shock, Bhajanlal died of a heart attack.

The story is no different in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Rains and hailstorms have caused damage to crops in several district. 42-year-old Ram Shankar had grown groundnut, wheat and watermelon hoping for a good harvest season. But unseasonal rains in Khandwa district and a debt of Rs 3 lakh broke Ram Shankar’s spirits. He committed suicide by consuming pesticide.

Mithun Koli from Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh also lost hope after incurring losses. Unable to cope with debt and farm losses, Mithun too committed suicide by consuming pesticide. Villagers allege that they received no help or assistance from the government. Here’s what Mithun’s relatives had to say.

Officials have estimated huge damage to the rabi harvest this year due to untimely rains. As per a report in The Economic Times, farmers have already lost standing crops on 106.73 lakh hectares across 14 states. The unseasonal spell of rains has come as a double blow for farmers, who had already taken a hit in the monsoon-dependent kharif season last year.