Warangal: Two farmers committed suicide by consuming pesticide in the erstwhile Warangal district on Sunday. They were unable to repay the loans taken from private money lenders due to loss of lakhs of rupees in cultivating the chilli crop.
Gugulothu Rajaram (52), a tenant farmer from Ramoji thand of Nellikudur mandal of Mahabubabad district took an acre of land on lease and cultivated chilli crop by investing around `1 lakh. Due to an attack of invasive pest virus, his entire crop was affected and the yield was poor. Facing difficulty to repay the loan, he ended his life by consuming pesticides.
Family members who noticed Rajaram consuming pesticide immediately shifted him to the government hospital in Mahabubabad. However, he died on Sunday.
In another incident, in Chandraiahpally village of Duggondi mandal, chilli farmer Suraiah (48) committed suicide as he faced a huge loss due to the the recent heavy rains in the Warangal district. He had cultivated chilli crop on two acres of land, but this was damaged and he did not get the expected yield. Unable to repay the loans he took from private money lenders, he consumed pesticide on February 2. While under treatment in the MGM hospital, Suraiah died on Sunday.
