Panaji: In a bid to extricate debt-ridden
farmers in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, an NGO has come
forward to bail them out of the agrarian crisis, a senior
functionary has said.
The NGO, Sangath, operating from outside of Goa, has
been hand-picked by Dorabjee Tata Trust for the ambitious
project aiming to mitigate instances of suicides among
Vidarbha peasants.
Sangath chairman Vishram Gupte said the pre-launch
meeting for the project would be held in Nagpur in Maharashtra
on November 30 to discuss about the implementation of the
project.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau's
statistics about 30,000 farmers have committed suicide in the
last one decade.
Gupte said lack of irrigation facilities, infertility
of land and state government's failure are the reasons for
aggravating crisis in the region.
The NGO with professionals on board has decided to
reach to these farmers in a scientific manner and address
their basic issues and render moral support.
The four-year-long project will cover four districts
from Vidarbha and eight blocks, Gupte said, adding Sangath is
readying to set up its camp office in Nagpur.
Sangath officials said the experts would analyse the
families of the victim farmers, their body language,
psychological behaviour and other aspects.
"We will develop the intervention in three sectors,
including common mental health disorder, alcohol use disorder
and child and adolescent emotional problem," an expert
associated with the project said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, November 14, 2011, 11:34