Bhubaneswar, Dec 31: Another farmer has reportedly taken his life in Odisha, bringing the total number of deaths linked to crop losses from unseasonal rains to six within a week. The latest victim, identified as Krutibas Swain from Sarena village in Jagatsinghpur district, was deeply affected by the recent weather conditions.
On Monday, Swain visited his paddy field with his brother and was devastated to discover that his nearly ready-to-harvest crop had been severely damaged by the unseasonal rains. Overwhelmed by the loss and the ensuing financial crisis, he returned home that evening and locked himself in his room.
When Swain failed to come out for dinner, his family grew concerned and knocked on the door, receiving no response. Worried, they enlisted the help of neighbors to break down the door, only to find him hanging from the ceiling. He was quickly brought down and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
His family alleges that the extensive crop damage led Swain to take this tragic step and is demanding an inquiry into the incident, as well as compensation for their losses, given that farming was their only source of income. The unseasonal rains from December 20 to 26 have devastated harvested and ready-to-harvest paddy crops across several districts, with Ganjam being the most severely affected.
Farmer commits suicide after crop loss amidst unseasonal rains
