Farm Accidents in South India: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Modern technology is gradually finding its place in agriculture, with still large-scale dependence on family scale farming. With the introduction of modern technology, human engineering becomes essential for its successful application. Human inattention and negligence in r various tasks and operations look like innocent mistakes. Agricultural accidents are of very serious concern. A survey of agricultural accidents was conducted in 1 2 selected villages from 7 agro-climatic regions of Tamil Nadu State. Based on the analysis of the results of the survey the following inferences are drawn: The accident incidence rate/'1"000 Workers/year was 10.6. About 95.7% of the total accidents: were not fatal and the remaining 4.3% were of fatal nature. Majority of the fatal accidents were due to tractors, cane crushers, threshers, chaff cutters, drowning in the open wells and pesticide poisoning. Some 77.48% of all agricultural accidents were related to farm machinery; 9.92% were related to hand tools; and 13.60% were related to other sources. Accidents due to hand tools were not fatal. The highest incidence rate per 1,000 machines per year was found in the case of cane crushers (58.67): followed by thresher (42.5); Sprayer (14.5); tractor (41.3): chaff cutter (8.94); spade (0.48); and sickle (0.38). Based on the survey it is estimated that in the year 2000 there may be about 94,478 agricultural accidents in Tamil Nadu causing death of about 4,128 workers and injuries to about 90,350 workers which includes finger cuts. amputation of limbs, crushing of body parts. etc.