Brahmapur: A 33-year-old farmer allegedly died by suicide after consuming pesticide following the destruction of his vegetable crops in floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Ganjam district last week, officials said on Friday.
The deceased, identified as Bulu Mallick, was a resident of Sadabrata Nuagaon village. He allegedly consumed pesticide on Thursday and was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur, where doctors declared him dead.
Mallick had cultivated vegetables, but his entire standing crop was reportedly washed away in the floods that followed heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Arnab on October 28. A relative said he had been under severe mental distress following the crop loss, which might have prompted him to take the extreme step.
Police and revenue officials visited his residence and initiated an inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his death, said Sanjay Behera, Inspector-in-Charge of Kabisuryanagar police station.
Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased staged a road blockade demanding compensation for the family. The protest was withdrawn following the intervention of police and the tehsildar.
Mallick’s death is the second reported case of a farmer allegedly dying by suicide in Ganjam within a week following extensive crop damage in the floods. On Sunday, 65-year-old Arjuna Panda of Dengapadar village under Sheragada block had allegedly died by suicide after his standing crops were destroyed.
BJD leaders from the district visited Mallick’s house on Thursday and met his relatives. Mallick was unmarried, and his parents had died several years ago. His younger brother works outside Odisha, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Ganjam unit of Odisha Krushak Sabha staged a demonstration outside the district collector’s office on Wednesday, demanding adequate compensation and financial assistance for farmers whose crops were extensively damaged by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods.
