Farmer suicide toll crosses 200 mark in Marathwada; collective toll over 1300 in 15 months

Beed registers highest suicide at 38 in two and half months, Aurangabad 36 suicides

3 min readBeed/puneUpdated: Mar 15, 2016 01:29 AM IST

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Officials said Beed’s figure of 38 suicides was the highest recorded in two and half months.

The suicide toll of farmers in eight districts of Marathwada has crossed the 200-mark in past two and a half months. In last nearly 15 months, over 1,300 suicides have been recorded with each week witnessing 20-30 suicides of distressed farmers.

Incidentally, last week, there were 22 suicides by farmers at a time when the entire Mararashtra cabinet headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had landed in Marathwada to take stock of the situation arising of the “worst drought situation after 1971.”

By Monday evening, the Divisional Commissionerate in Aurangabad which keeps the record of the suicides of farmers registered 216 deaths since January 1. The highest suicides of 38 were registered in Beed.

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Officials said Beed’s figure of 38 suicides was the highest recorded in two and half months. Aurangabad had the second highest suicides at 36. Nanded, which is another worst affected district, registered 31 suicides. Latur stands at third with 29 deaths and Osmanabad had 27 deaths.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who reviewed the drought situation in Marathwada last week and sought to infuse confidence in farmers by announcing a slew of measures, told this paper that his government was concerned about the farmer suicides and has taken several steps to bring them down. “Several measures have been put in place. It will take time for the results to come in. We are sure the suicide rate will soon come down,” he said. When pointed out that government officials were allegedly not put in their might to stop the farmer suicide saga, Fadnavis said all efforts are underway and things would soon change in Marathwada.

Divisional Commissioner Umakant Dhangat has his own take on the continuing suicides of farmers in Marathwada. “My assessment says that expectations, especially from family members, are rising high which are putting undue pressure on the farmer. What is making life difficult for farmers is the fact that the farm yield has been going down by the day and the farmer is not able to meet the demands of the situation, forcing him to take the extreme step of ending his life out of feeling guilt…” he told The Indian Express last week.

Senior government officials however said the farming scenario in Marathwada would change in near future as the government has roped in Israeli technology to infuse life in the farms in drought-hit regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha. “Osmanabad in Marathwada has been selected to implement the Jethro technology of Israel. The Jethro technology had helped farms in drought-hit parts of Israel to revive the farms. And we hope to replicate the same in Maharashtra,” an official in Chief Minister’s Office said.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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