Over 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure, it was reported today.
The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.
"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine
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The story lacks ambulance style reporting on the hows and whens of the suicides, but sketches a compelling background of reasons for the despair. How many farmers are there? Who reported the statistics? Was this one day, as implied, or over a year?
This brings a lot of critical world issues together. Money lenders, water shortages, crop failures, disparity between the very poor and very wealthy, overpopulation, and inadequate social safety nets. More investigative reporting would be useful.
Makes some amateur mistakes and omissions, and barely goes into detail about the suicides. An important topic, but not a well written story.
There was hardly any proof to the claims. I have no idea how big of a problem suicide is there or how they can prove the crops failing is the reason for it without more sources. The government was attacked by a farmer's quote, but nowhere in the story is a government official quoted or is noted that they even tried to contact them.
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