More than 1,500 Indian farmers committed suicide after being pushed into debt through crop failures. The reason for the crop failures have been blamed on falling water irrigation levels, climate change and the increasing globalization of water rights. "The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine.
Water resources are diminishing in Chattisgarh which has been referred to as ‘The Rice Bowl of India’, is an area of India where 80% of the population live in rural areas and many farmers own 2-acre farming plots. In this region there have been increasing numbers of suicides as farmers have been borrowing from banks, relatives and moneylenders, often to lease more land to grow more food but as the crops have failed and they cannot repay their debts.
The loans are a few hundred US dollars but are a source of shame when they cannot be repaid and often the interest rates are high at 5% per month. Crop failures are a disaster for farmers and their families.
Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association: "Farmers' suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death."
The BBC News reports that more than 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India since 1997. The lack of irrigation water and crop failures is probably a complex issue but certainly is not helped by global climate change which is expected to raise the Indian Sub-continent temperatures by up to 4°C by 2100 according to a report in The Hindu. This is expected to cause major problems with the monsoon season that is so critical to crop growth and ground water replenishment.
The recent farmers' suicide is example of how global climate change will affect the poorest in society first. Perhaps some of the shame of these farmers debts and their subsequent suicides should be borne by those of us who over-consume and grossly contribute to greenhouse gases, for which others, who can ill afford it, actually pay the price.
Via: Down to Earth Magazine and The Hindu Newspaper
written by Hari Batti , January 24, 2010
written by rev. rajeshwar solomon , June 02, 2010
they only worry about it . In other words we stopped teaching there is really hope to be found in truth.
written by deepali , November 10, 2010
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written by manu sanju s , September 14, 2009