In the heartlands of India’s cotton farming, a silent threat looms. Farmers in villages across Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat report that the air itself can cause discomfort, stinging eyes and tightening throats, especially after pesticide spraying seasons. This isn’t just a feeling; scientific studies confirm that harmful pesticide residues are travelling far beyond the fields where they are sprayed.
Studies by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have found pesticide traces in the air and rainwater, sometimes up to 15 kilometres away from cotton farms. This means that people living in nearby villages, including children, are breathing and drinking these chemicals without ever touching a sprayer themselves. The CPCB itself warns that volatile pesticides can travel long distances, polluting the environment.
Field research in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal and Akola districts has detected specific types of pesticides, like organophosphates and pyrethroids, in the air and rain during the peak spraying times. In Punjab, researchers found these residues not only on crops but also in the dust collected from rooftops and in well water. This contamination affects everyone in the vicinity, creating an invisible haze of toxins.
The problem is widespread. In Telangana’s Warangal region, surveys showed that nearby villages were being impacted by pesticide drift. Health workers in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district have reported groups of people experiencing nausea and eye irritation. Similar complaints have surfaced in Gujarat’s Bharuch and Surendranagar areas during periods of intense spraying.
Vidarbha in Maharashtra has seen repeated poisoning incidents over the last decade, hospitalising hundreds of cotton farm labourers who are directly exposed during spraying. Doctors in Yavatmal have noted a significant rise in pesticide poisoning cases every monsoon, which coincides with the cotton spraying season. The National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) has linked short-term exposure to breathing difficulties, blurred vision, and neurological issues.
Many of these health problems go unreported. However, even a few days of illness can lead to lost wages, medical expenses, and children having to miss school. For families with very little income, this pesticide drift adds a heavy burden to their health and financial struggles. This invisible pollution is an indirect cost of how agriculture is currently managed in India. While the profits from cotton move up the supply chain, rural households bear the immediate health and income losses.
India’s pesticide industry plays a significant role in this risk. Cotton farms, which make up only about 5% of the country’s farmland, use nearly half of all the pesticides sold. Although genetically modified Bt cotton was introduced to reduce the need for spraying, the development of pest resistance has meant that pesticide use has actually increased in some areas. For instance, in Vidarbha, pesticide use per hectare has risen substantially between 2010 and 2022.
Despite the risks, protective gear is rarely used, and spraying is often done manually or by tractor in open conditions. The laws meant to ensure safe pesticide use are not being enforced effectively. Some dangerous chemicals that are banned in other countries are still available in India. Furthermore, a much-needed bill to manage pesticides better has been pending for a long time.
The government’s monitoring of pesticides is also limited, leaving many cotton-growing areas unobserved. Those most affected by pesticide drift are often the ones with the least power to demand change. This includes migrant workers who spray the fields, landless labourers, and women who pick cotton. In some villages, local councils have asked for ‘buffer zones’ around fields after children became ill. Health groups have also documented lost wages among workers who were poisoned.
Solutions are available. Practices like Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and initiatives focused on growing cotton without chemicals have shown that pesticide use can be significantly reduced without affecting crop yields. The use of pheromone traps and biological pesticides has also helped lessen reliance on chemicals and reduce drift. These examples prove that farming can be more cost-effective, safer, and sustainable.
To address this crisis, India needs better monitoring systems, stronger local control, and more protection for those who are most exposed. The air and rainwater in rural areas need to be tested regularly, and health centres should keep records of illnesses related to pesticide exposure. Agriculture departments can also promote safer spraying methods and raise public awareness. Most importantly, gradually stopping the use of the most hazardous pesticides would protect both farmers and their communities. This invisible pollution is a serious issue that affects rural livelihoods and the environment. For India’s rural growth to be truly inclusive, the air that sustains its agriculture must be made cleaner.