Gujarat’s Saurashtra region is witnessing a worrying rise in farmer suicides, with a fifth farmer ending his life in just one month. The latest case involves 42-year-old Shailesh Devjibhai Savaliya from Junagadh, who died after consuming poison on his farmland. His family says he was unable to cope with the shock of heavy crop losses caused by unseasonal rain and the pressure of mounting debt.
Savaliya farmed ten-and-a-half bighas, growing groundnut, onion and tur. He had hoped that this year’s harvest would help him repay loans and support his family. But the sudden rains destroyed much of his crop. Feeling overwhelmed, he walked to his field and took poison. His brother, Prafulbhai, said the family had noticed his growing distress. “Shaileshbhai was shattered. He hid most of his pain, but we could see the stress eating him from inside. He felt completely cornered,” he said. “Out of despair he went to the field and drank poison. He believed there was no way forward.”
Police in Visavadar have registered a case and begun an investigation after speaking to the family. Early inquiries suggest that financial pressure following crop failure played a major role. Similar circumstances have been reported in four other recent suicide cases in the region.
In Rajkot’s Kotdasangani area, 50-year-old Dilipbhai Virdiya died after consuming poison in his field. His son said the family had suffered a loss of nearly Rs 10 lakh due to sudden rains. “He was tense for weeks. The rains crushed all his hopes,” he said. In another case in Rajkot district, farmer Danabhai Ramjibhai Jadav died by hanging after his crops were damaged by erratic weather. Villagers said he had been under severe financial and emotional pressure.
A third farmer, Ghafar Musa Unad from Una in Gir Somnath district, died on November 3 after jumping into a well. His relatives said his groundnut crop had rotted in the fields and he had loans to repay along with the responsibility of marrying off two daughters. “He felt there was no escape,” a family member said. In Dwarka district, 37-year-old Karsanbhai Vavnotia died after his crop was ruined. His family said he had taken a gold loan to buy seeds and was unable to bear the devastation caused by the rains.
These repeated tragedies have spread fear among farmers across Saurashtra, many of whom say they are facing the same combination of crop damage and rising debt. Although the Gujarat government recently announced a Rs 10,000-crore loan relief package, several farmers say they have not yet received compensation or insurance payments. Many families are relying on moneylenders, leaving them more vulnerable as weather patterns continue to shift.
Across the region, grieving relatives say the crisis is deepening faster than help is reaching the ground. “Farmers are breaking under the pressure,” said a villager in Junagadh. “People are scared because everyone knows the same thing can happen to them.”
