Eight farmers have committed suicide in Saurashtra this month due to crop failure following deficient rains, police said on Tuesday.
Four farmers committed suicide in Amreli district while four others ended their lives in Rajkot district since August 4, they said.
Farmers who committed suicide were identified as Hamir Kavad, Babu Paghdal, Mohan Gohil and Devchand from Amreli while Jaypalsinh Jadeja, Vallabh Modh, Vikram Patel and Kishor Pethani were from Rajkot district, they said adding all of them ended their lives duo to crop failure.
The Saurashtra region has received only 20 per cent rains this season resulting in a drought-like situation and most of the crop has failed.
There are 135 reservoirs in the region with capacity to store over 2,500 million cubic meter water but presently the storage is down to seven per cent.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhvaida alleged that the state government officials were busy organising function for chief minister Narendra Modi and not doing anything to tackle the drought-like situation in Saurashtra and Kutch.
"In the past, whenever crop failed due to deficient rains, the government in power used to give immediate relief to farmers in form of seed cost and provide other seeds for them. But this government has not bothered to do anything like that," the Congress leader said.
However, state Bharatiya Janata Party president R C Faldu refuted the Congress charge by saying that the state government has taken swift action to tackle the situation that has arisen due to deficient rains.
"The state is providing water from the Narmda canal to drought hit areas. Chief minister Narendra Modi has gone to each scarcity-hit district and taken stock of the situation and fodder, drinking water is being supplied to the concerned areas," Faldu said.
