Berhampur: Another farmer who was under treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here in Ganjam district after he consumed poison over crop loss and debt burden, died while undergoing treatment late Tuesday night, reports said.
He has been identified as K Srinu Rao (45) of Machamara Badasahi village under Gurandi police limits in Gajapati district.
According to family members, unable to bear the trauma of severe crop loss in Titli and subsequent floods, Rao consumed pesticides at his house Tuesday morning.
“He was under stress to repay the loans that he had taken for the cultivation and to make both ends meet for his family that depended mostly on agriculture,” said his wife.
Family members spotted him withered in pain and vomiting blood and rushed him to Parlakhemundi-based district headquarters hospital. He was placed under intense care. However, he breathed his last while undergoing treatment late in the night.
The medical authorities handed over Rao’s body to family members after autopsy Wednesday morning.
According to sources, Rao was a share-cropper. He had cultivated paddy in 5-acre of farm by taking Rs 60,000 loans from a private moneylender. He also had pawned his wife’s gold ornaments for Rs 50,000.
He had hoped of a bumper harvest and repay all his loans. However, his hopes of good harvest were dashed after Titli hit the region. All his standing crops were washed away in the subsequent floods. Whatever, little crop, he had managed to save were also infested by pests and got damaged.
He was under severe pressure to repay the loans, run his family and get the mortgaged gold ornaments of his wife back. He along with fellow farmers had appraised the administration of their crop loss.
While, the block administration has prepared a preliminary report of the crop loss suffered by the farmers, they are yet to get their compensation. Unable to bear the stress any further, Rao took the extreme step, villagers said.
Rao is survived by his widowed wife and two minor daughters with no one to take care of them. Locals sympathised with the bereaved family and demanded necessary compensation for them.
Farmer ends life over family feud
Jharigaon: A 47-year-old man, Dhanapati Muduli, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree over a family dispute at Dabaguda village in Gurusinga gram panchayat in the block here Wednesday. According to sources, Muduli and his wife were residing in a camp near their corn field. He sent his wife to pluck corns from the farmland in the morning and then allegedly hanged himself from a tree near the camp. In this regard, the deceased son, Dinabandhu Muduli filed a written complaint with the police. Later the sub-inspector Abhay Pradhan reached the spot and launched a probe into the matter.
Farmer critical in bear attack
Koksara: A 55-year-old farmer sustained grievous injuries after he was mauled by a bear while on his way to paddy farm at Baradonga village under Koksara block in Kalahandi district Wednesday morning. The injured person identified as Kamal Naik was rescued and was admitted to Koksara community health centre (CHC). After preliminary treatment, he was shifted to Bhawanipatna district headquarters hospital. The incident spread outrage in the village as no forest officials arrived even after they were alerted. Sources said, the incident occurred while Naik was on his way to work on his paddy farm. Meanwhile, he came across the bear that had strayed into the field in search of food. The bear pounced on him and bit his thighs, torso and limbs. Hearing his screams, other people working in the paddy fields rushed to the spot and rescued him.
PNN
