Marathwada: 899 farmer suicides in 10 months; flood-hit region records sharp spike

As many as 899 farmers died by suicide in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region between January and October this year, with 537 cases occurring during the six months of floods and heavy rain, official data shows.

The figures, compiled by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisional commissioner’s office, underline the scale of agrarian distress in the eight-district region—Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Latur, Beed and Dharashiv.
Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded the highest numbers.

From 1 May to 31 October, the districts reported:

• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – 112 suicides

• Jalna – 32

• Parbhani – 45

• Hingoli – 33

• Nanded – 90

• Beed – 108

• Latur – 47

• Dharashiv – 70

Severe rain and floods also caused extensive collateral damage: 12 lives lost, over 1,300 houses damaged, and 357 livestock deaths (till 20 September). The state government has announced a Rs 32,000 crore package for relief.

Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal said the administration is “seriously addressing” the crisis.

“The government is spending nearly Rs 1 lakh crore on farmers through schemes and incentives — far more than the agriculture department’s annual budget of Rs 23,000 crore,” he told PTI. He added that direct financial assistance would increase and that long-term structural solutions were being prepared, including controlled farming techniques and revised crop patterns for predictable returns.

A committee is also being set up to ensure that benefits of the upcoming loan waiver reach the intended beneficiaries.

‘Compensation is meagre, morale is broken’

Farmer leader and former MP Raju Shetti said consecutive crop losses had devastated cultivators.

He cited cases of farmers receiving negligible compensation. For example, a banana orchard owner who lost nearly 100 tonnes of produce — worth Rs 25 lakh — received just Rs 25,000 after floods washed away the crop.

“This sequence of events has completely demoralised Marathwada’s farmers,” Shetti said.

Call for a disaster-response framework

Founder of the farmer support helpline Shivar, Vinayak Hegana, urged the government to treat Marathwada’s climate-linked crises with the seriousness of the COVID-19 response.

He recommended a dedicated task force, redefined disaster-management parameters for climate-impacted regions, and rapid localised intervention teams.

“This pattern of extreme weather is repeating. Without a long-term strategy, these tragedies will continue,” he warned.

With PTI inputs