Palamu district, Jharkhand: Fed up of government apathy, over 150 farmers in a village in Jharkhand's Palamu district have decided to send a petition to Chief Minister Arjun Munda, asking for permission to take their lives.
Their shocking decision comes after incessant rains washed away most of the crop in their village and the areas around it, leaving farmers with no means of livelihood.
They say the damage caused due to excessive rain could have been prevented by a dam on the river in their village, but the project has been stuck in red tape since 1976.
"All my land is under water. We have received only hollow assurances from the government so far," said Mritunjay, a farmer.
Palamu is one of India's most drought prone districts. Over the last two years, farmers lost their crop because it rained too little. This year, there has been too much rain. Even the government admits a dam on the river here could have solved many problems.
"It is extremely necessary to build the dam. We are gathering all possible information regarding this," said Avadhesh Upadhayaya, Deputy Development Commissioner of Palamu district.
The villagers' threat might just seem rhetoric, but driven by desperation, and with no hope for the future, perhaps, these villagers feel threats like these are the only way to get a passive and inert government to act.
Their shocking decision comes after incessant rains washed away most of the crop in their village and the areas around it, leaving farmers with no means of livelihood.
They say the damage caused due to excessive rain could have been prevented by a dam on the river in their village, but the project has been stuck in red tape since 1976.
"All my land is under water. We have received only hollow assurances from the government so far," said Mritunjay, a farmer.
Palamu is one of India's most drought prone districts. Over the last two years, farmers lost their crop because it rained too little. This year, there has been too much rain. Even the government admits a dam on the river here could have solved many problems.
"It is extremely necessary to build the dam. We are gathering all possible information regarding this," said Avadhesh Upadhayaya, Deputy Development Commissioner of Palamu district.
The villagers' threat might just seem rhetoric, but driven by desperation, and with no hope for the future, perhaps, these villagers feel threats like these are the only way to get a passive and inert government to act.
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