Amreli farmer ends life fearing crop failure

RAJKOT: Rising debt and fear of crop failure drove 51-year-old farmer, Valjibhai Gevariya, of Rampur village in Dhari taluka of Amreli to commit suicide on Sunday afternoon.

Valjibhai consumed poisonous substance on Sunday afternoon at his farm. He was rushed to hospital in Dhari and then referred to Amreli civil hospital for further treatment. "However, he died on his way to Amreli town," said Girdhar Gevariya, investigating officer, Chalala police station. "Son of the deceased farmer, Mathur told us that Valjibhai was under heavy debt. He also feared that his crop would fail this year and he will not be able to repay his loan. So, he took this extreme step," the investigating officer said. Valjibhai owns three bigha land and had sown cotton this year.

This is the fourth suicide by a farmer in Saurashtra fearing crop loss and rising debt since the last two months.

Sources said farmers in Saurashtra are fearing crop loss due to deficient rains and attack of pink boll warm on cotton crops. Amreli district has received just 63% of its average annual rainfall while Dhari taluka has received 55% of average annual rainfall, as per the weather department.

Earlier, on August 14, a 50-year-old man Jaynti Bhanderi, of Vibhaniya village in Kalavad taluka of Jamnagar, had consumed a poisonous substance and committed suicide.

On August 8, 50-year-old farmer, Harsukh Patel from Dhoraji had committed suicide due to fear of crop failure. He too had sown cotton. Prior to that, 37-year-old farmer Jorubhai Dhandhal from Savarkundla in Amreli had hanged himself from a tree on July 14.

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