Hyderabad: Three farmers from Telangana’s Warangal region allegedly died by suicide after suffering severe crop losses and mounting financial distress caused by poor monsoon rains. The deceased, aged between 25 and 58, had cultivated paddy, maize, and cotton, but inadequate rainfall ruined their crops, leaving them unable to repay accumulated loans. Officials said all three farmers were under immense financial pressure before taking the extreme step.

Among the victims was 58-year-old Banothu Ramulu from Mahabubabad, who had sown paddy and maize on his two-acre farm. With the expected rains failing to arrive, his crops were badly affected, pushing him deeper into debt. The other two farmers, 27-year-old Jarpula Venkatesh of Bujju Thanda and 50-year-old Metla Uppalamma of Agapeta village, had cultivated cotton but also faced heavy losses due to the weak monsoon. According to reports, Ramulu and Uppalamma consumed pesticide, while Venkatesh allegedly jumped into an agricultural well.

Telangana has experienced a 23 percent rainfall deficit this year, prompting the state government to declare a water emergency and issue advisories on water conservation. Farmer organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over rising debt, crop failures, and the lack of timely financial relief. Official figures indicate that since the Congress government assumed office in 2023, the state has recorded 793 farmer suicides, with indebtedness and pressure from moneylenders cited among the leading reasons behind these deaths.