Farmers driven to suicide as rain, hail wreck crops

April is usually a time of celebration for millions of farmers across northern India. The winter wheat crop is ready to be harvested, and there's money to clear debts and plan future planting.

This year, however, unseasonal rain and hailstorms in March devastated millions of acres of farmland, causing heartache for debt-ridden farmers, and leading dozens to kill themselves.

In Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 40 farmers have taken their own lives, according to the state's government. The largely agrarian state - India's most populous with 210 million people - has declared a state of emergency to seek funds from the federal government to compensate farmers.