Persistent Poisons: Mapping the Health and Environmental Impacts of Pesticide Use in India

Abstract

This review examined major pesticide-related incidents across India, highlighting their root causes, impacts and the recurring themes of corporate negligence, policy failure and grassroots resistance. A troubling legacy of acute disasters, chronic exposures, and systemic regulatory shortcomings has shaped India's relationship with pesticides. From the catastrophic Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 to the recurring pesticide-related suicides and ecological degradation, the country has endured profound public health, environmental, and socio-economic consequences due to unregulated chemical use. The tragedies span a wide spectrum: industrial disasters such as the Bhopal gas leak and the pesticide poisoning in Yavatmal; long-term public health emergencies like the Endosulfan tragedy in Kerala; and the emergence of a pesticide-induced cancer belt in Punjab. These incidents underscore critical regulatory failures, including poor enforcement of the Insecticides Act (1968), continued use of banned or highly hazardous chemicals, lack of oversight on pesticide approval and inadequate safety measures for farmers and agricultural workers. Despite these failures, many affected Communities, particularly women, have led movements demanding accountability, justice, and safer alternatives. As India observed 40 years since Bhopal, these case studies stood as stark reminders of preventable harm. They also served as an urgent call to reimagine agriculture rooted in agroecology, farmer safety, biodiversity and environmental justice-towards a healthier and more sustainable future.