Hailstorm Wreaks Havoc On Crops In Ujjain; Distressed Farmer Dies By Suicide
According to sources, the farmer recorded a video of his destroyed crops on Tuesday night and posted it on social media.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 5:22 PM IST
Ujjain: Unseasonal rain with hailstorm lashed the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, causing extensive damage to standing crops. Heavy rainfall and strong winds, along with large hailstones, severely affected wheat and gram crops. The farmers are devastated after this natural calamity.
In the rural areas of Ujjain district, an intense hailstorm destroyed wheat, potato, garlic, onion and gram crops. The massive crop loss proved unbearable for a farmer in the Makdon area, who allegedly died by suicide following the devastation of his fields.
According to sources, the farmer recorded a video of his destroyed crops on Tuesday night and posted it on social media. Later, around midnight, he allegedly ended his life in his field. Police, administrative officials and local public representatives rushed to the spot after receiving information.
Tarana Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar confirmed the incident and said, “We demand that the Chief Minister order an immediate survey of the damaged crops and ensure compensation is provided to the affected farmers without delay.”
The deceased farmer has been identified as Pankaj Malviya (30), a resident of Kheda Jamunia village, about 50 km from Ujjain. He is survived by his mother, two sisters, wife and two children, an eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter. His father had passed away in April last year. One of his sisters had gotten engaged just two days before the incident.
Family members said they tried calling Pankaj on Tuesday evening, but he did not respond. “He was seen in the field till around 10:30 pm. In the morning, his body was found lying in the field,” they said.
After the incident, MLA Mahesh Parmar visited the bereaved family and expressed solidarity. “Pankaj owned around six bighas of land, where he had cultivated wheat. The entire crop was destroyed due to the hailstorm. He was already under financial stress,” Parmar said.
The MLA added that he has demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the victim’s family from Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. He has also written to the government, urging an immediate survey of affected areas and compensation for farmers who suffered losses.
Makdon police station in-charge Pradeep Rajput said a case has been registered and a post-mortem examination has been conducted. “The body has been handed over to the family. The cause of death is under investigation, and the video posted by the farmer is also being examined,” he said.
Several areas in the Badnagar, Tarana and Ghatiya tehsils reported heavy crop losses. Villages including Rahwari, Samtyakhedi, Baisla Khurd, Pattya Khedi, Kachnariya, Karedi, Lalakheda, Panda, Khajuriya, Bichrod, Jharda and surrounding regions witnessed extensive damage. MLAs Mahesh Parmar (Tarana), Jitendra Pandya (Badnagar) and Satish Malviya (Ghatiya) visited the affected villages to assess the situation.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Kumar Singh said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, all tehsildars, revenue inspectors and patwaris in the affected areas have been directed to conduct door-to-door and field-level surveys. “Based on the survey reports, further action will be taken to compensate farmers for their losses,” he said.
Suicide is not a solution:
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you are worried about a friend, or you need emotional support, then there is someone who is always there to listen to you. Call the Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline at 9152987821 (available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).
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