India, June 9 -- Himachal Pradesh's intensive apple and off-season vegetable cultivation has led to growing reliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides.

Farmers in horticultural belts such as Shimla and Kullu face repeated occupational exposure through frequent spraying during a single crop season.

Public health and environmental concerns are rising, with pesticides linked to contamination of soil, water, food chains and pollinator decline.

The article calls for a state-led regulatory reset, including phasing out the most toxic pesticides and scaling up safer alternatives such as Integrated Pest Management and natural farming.

Himachal Pradesh, widely regarded as India's fruit bowl, is central to the ecological imagination of the Himalaya...