The ongoing crisis of farmer suicides in West Vidarbha shows no signs of easing as according to official data, 87 farmers ended their lives in October alone, while a total of 888 suicides have been reported across the region in the first ten months of this year.

Shockingly, records indicate that 22,038 farmers have died by suicide between 1 January 2001 and the present.

Farmer suicides have been documented in five districts of Maharashtra's West Vidarbha: Yavatmal, Amravati, Buldhana, Akola and Washim since 2001.

During this 24-year period, Yavatmal has recorded the highest number of cases at 6,489, followed by Amravati 5,546, Buldhana 4,592, Akola 3,262 and Washim 2,149.

This year’s figures paint an equally grim picture. In just 305 days, the Amravati division has seen 888 farmer suicides, amounting to one suicide every eight hours. Yavatmal district continues to top the list with 316 cases, making it the worst-affected district in Maharashtra.

The causes behind the suicides include natural calamities, crop failures, drought, mounting debt, private moneylender pressure, family expenses such as daughters’ marriages and health issues.

These compounding factors have limited the effectiveness of government relief meant to support distressed farmers.

Administrative lapses have also come under scrutiny. While the government has approved assistance in 11,295 cases, another 11,366 applications have been rejected as ineligible.

Additionally, 377 cases have been pending investigation for over a year, raising concerns over delays and negligence.

Families of the deceased allege that along with natural and financial hardships, government apathy and administrative negligence have played a major role in worsening the crisis. They argue that inadequate policy attention and ineffective local administration have deepened farmers’ distress.

Experts and activists have called for urgent intervention, including better disaster-relief mechanisms, a halt on aggressive debt recovery and efficient, timely disbursement of government aid.

Without decisive action, they warn, the region’s agrarian crisis is likely to intensify further.