Srinagar, Aug. 26 -- Srinagar- Nearly 90 per cent of households located close to apple orchards in Kashmir have no buffer zone separating their homes from pesticide-treated land, exposing residents to the risk of chemical drift, a new study has found.

The study, published in the International Journal of Social Impact, surveyed 509 households across all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley and developed a composite Residential Proximity Index (RPI) to assess pesticide exposure risks.

The index was based on six indicators, including distance from orchards, presence of buffer zones, pesticide storage and disposal practices, awareness of pesticide toxicity and health symptoms following spraying.

According to the findings, 41.06 per cent of s...