Drought, debt claim 4 more lives in West Tamil Nadu

In Erode district, K Palanisamy (45) of Velampalayam near Odaimedu near Kavindapadi was found hanging in his house. According to the police, inquiry revealed that he owned five acres of agricultural land. A few years ago he borrowed Rs 2 lakh from a nationalised bank to buy a tractor. 

Later in 2015 he also borrowed Rs 1 lakh from a micro financing firm to buy cows for his dairy business. It is learnt that he was repaying the loan till a few months ago but could not repay it due to heavy loss incurred due to the drought. His family claimed that about three weeks ago the bank asked him to repay the loan without delay. On Monday the micro financing firm also put pressure on him.

On Tuesday morning his family was shocked to see him hanging dead from the ceiling. His relatives sought stringent action against the bank and micro finance firm personnel. In Coimbatore district, farmer Ramasamy (62) of Moolakurumbapalayan near Annur who was depressed over his dying crops died of a cardiac arrest late on Monday night. It is learnt that the farmer owned four acres of land and cultivated banana on two-and-a-half acres and maize on the rest. Last month he was depressed over the loss incurred on banana cultivation. 

His inability to repay Rs 2 lakh depressed him and he suffered a cardiac arrest a few weeks ago. Despite treatment he died. In Namakkal, a 60-year-old woman farmer died of a cardiac arrest as her onion crops had dried up. The police quoted her family and villagers as saying that S Kamatchi of Vadavathur near Erumapatti collapsed on her land on Tuesday. In a similar manner, Aruchami (56) of Thalaivasal in Salem died in his dried up Turmeric field. 

Amidst opposition claims that over 100 farmers have died due to drought in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Tuesday said 17 farmers have committed suicide in the last two months due to “various reasons” and reports were awaited from the districts on the “shock” deaths. “Though they have committed suicide due to various reasons, a sum of Rs 3 lakh each will be provided to their families considering their welfare,” he said in a statement and added that the compensation will be paid from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. Panneerselvam said following reports of some farmers dying of shock due to drought-related damage to crops, detailed reports from the respective district collectors had been sought.