Hyderabad:
The farm lands seem to have once again turned into killing fields in Andhra Pradesh, with more than 80 per cent of the state declared drought-hit and government policies offering no succour to the farmers. At least 95 farmers had committed suicide in just six districts surveyed in October, the number of such deaths went up to 157 in the next one month even as the state government still seems to be in denial.
Even after a notice by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), there is another spate of farmer suicide deaths.
Parvathamma is trying to glean whatever she can as harvest from the disastrous cotton crop that drove her husband Chinnakondaiah - a cotton farmer in Mahbubnagar district - to suicide less than a month ago.
"This is the season. Everyone will ask us to repay. Already, many debtors have waited for long. What should we answer them? He was heartbroken and suddenly did this," she says.
And in Bijenepally area, NDTV found out that at least six farmer suicide deaths had happened in the last one month. Kavali Chinnakondaiah, Singamshetty Yadamma, Bangaru Mallaiiah, Ramavat, Apppalla Ellaiah, Govind... and the list goes on.
However, the government records show only one death in Mahbubnagar and 90 in the state in 2011.
"Andhra Pradesh has seen unprecedented drought this year. The agriculture department has been conducting counselling sessions. We instructed our agriculture and revenue officials to keep a close watch on vulnerable families who have taken a lot of loan. Even the nationalised banks have rescheduled their loans," says V Usha Rani, Agriculture Commissioner.
If the rain gods have failed the farmer, so has the government. With the price of cotton going up last year, the area under cotton virtually doubled - a clear recipe for disaster. But the government failed to act to avert the crisis. Lakhs of acres of standing crop of cotton, maize, paddy and groundnut has dried up this kharif season. Independent field surveys have said that as a direct fallout, at least 90 farmer suicide-deaths have happened in just six districts of the state.
The government has failed to put in place efficient and effective mechanisms to support and reassure the farmer. The administration follows very antiquated methodology for evaluating crop loss and drought. So, timely help never reaches the farmer