Debt-ridden farmers on the verge of committing suicides

Mangalagiri (Guntur district): The debt-ridden farmers of Errabalem village of Mangalagiri mandal in Krishna district are on the verge of committing suicides. The village is just two kilometers from here. The situation is the same in several neighbouring villages. Seven to eight villages, surrounding Errabalem, hardly seven kms from Krishna river, depend on lift irrigation. With the waters in Krishna depleting for several reasons, the farmers in these villages are pushed into crisis. The farmers of Errabalem and surrounding villages raised cotton, paddy, chilli and corn in around 3,000 acres this season. However, inadequate water supply coupled with depleting ground water sources and power crisis resulted in heavy losses to these farmers. They raised the crops with great difficulty by borrowing heavily. The debt-ridden farmers are on the verge of committing suicides. A farmer in the village, speaking to The Hans India, was critical of the State Government's failure to implement its promise of supplying seven-hour free power to farmers. "The promise has never been implemented. We are not even getting three-hour power supply. Power crisis on the one hand and inundation of crops under 'Konda vagu" floods on the other hand led to heavy loss," he said. If the government does to come to their rescue at this hour of crisis, there is no way for them except to commit suicides, he said.