As cancer cases soar in the valley, experts warn that environmental toxins, food adulteration, and unchecked pollution pose a deadly threat, calling for urgent action to protect public health and prevent a looming crisis
While Kashmir is known for its scenic beauty, apple orchards, and serene lakes, an increasing number of residents are grappling with a far less visible but deadly reality: cancer.
Health experts and oncologists are raising urgent alarms as mounting evidence points toward environmental and chemical factors — including radiation exposure, food adulteration, and toxic chemicals like benzene — as key contributors to the alarming rise in cancer cases across the Union Territory.
Cancer On The Rise
According to data from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing over 12,000 new cancer cases every year, a sharp increase compared to previous decades. Government hospitals such as SKIMS, SMHS, and GMC Srinagar are reporting a consistent surge in cancer patients, particularly with gastrointestinal, lung, blood, and breast cancers.
While factors such as ageing, smoking, and genetic predispositions are well-known, specialists in the Valley now believe that radiation exposure, toxic chemicals in water and soil, and chemically contaminated food are becoming primary culprits behind the spike.
Radiation Risks: An Unseen Threat
Though Kashmir has no known nuclear facilities, exposure to environmental radiation remains a major concern. Unchecked use of electronic equipment, mobile towers in densely populated areas, and improper disposal of medical and industrial waste may be contributing to low-level radiation exposure.
More alarmingly, some experts point to uranium traces found in groundwater in certain parts of North India, raising concerns that radiated particles could be gradually entering the water supply. Once ingested, radioactive particles can accumulate in bones or soft tissues, eventually leading to cancers like leukaemia and bone cancer.
“People don’t understand the long-term effects of radiation. Even low exposure, when sustained, can alter cellular DNA,” says Dr. Sameer Ahmad, an oncologist at SKIMS. “We are now seeing younger patients with cancers typically found in older age groups, and that’s worrying.”
Benzene And Toxic Chemicals: A Lethal Cocktail
Another alarming contributor is the widespread presence of benzene and other industrial chemicals in the environment. Benzene, a known carcinogen, is commonly found in vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, paints, pesticides, and even drinking water in polluted areas.
Though Kashmir lacks heavy industry, increasing urbanisation, poor regulation of fuel emissions, and indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture have led to benzene infiltration into the air and soil. Inhalation or long-term exposure to benzene has been directly linked to blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.
“Many patients from rural areas where pesticide use is heavy are being diagnosed with blood cancers,” explains Dr Mehak Mir, a pathologist at GMC Anantnag. “It’s not a coincidence — they’re inhaling and consuming these chemicals daily.”
Food Adulteration: From Fields To The Table
Perhaps the most alarming threat is something Kashmiri families unknowingly consume every day: adulterated and chemically-treated food.
With growing demand and commercial pressure, farmers and traders often use ripening agents, chemical preservatives, and artificial colouring on fruits and vegetables. Formalin (a form of formaldehyde) has been detected in fish and fruits to extend shelf life, while carcinogenic dyes are used to enhance the colour of spices and pulses. Even dried vegetables — a staple during Kashmir’s long winters — are not spared from artificial additives.
“Traditional food used to be clean and seasonal. Now we’re buying bright red chillies soaked in harmful dyes or apples sprayed with excessive wax and pesticides,” says Aiza Bilal, a school teacher in Budgam. “We don’t know what we’re feeding our children.”
A 2022 report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) found violations in over 15% of food samples collected from Kashmir, including the presence of pesticide residues, heavy metals, and non-permitted chemicals. Despite such warnings, enforcement remains weak.
Lack Of Regulation And Awareness
Experts argue that regulatory failure and lack of public awareness are worsening the crisis. Despite known risks, there are no routine checks on radiation levels around mobile towers, little enforcement of pesticide use protocols, and poor regulation of food quality in local markets.
Additionally, there is a widespread lack of awareness about the connection between chemical exposure and cancer. Most people continue to use plastic containers to store food, burn garbage in the open air, and consume non-organic produce without knowing the risks.
Even medical professionals admit that early detection remains a challenge, especially in rural districts. “By the time most people come to us, the cancer is already in Stage 3 or 4,” says Dr. Zameer Shah, a senior oncologist at SMHS Hospital.
Voices From The Ground
For 45-year-old Abdul Rahim from Pulwama, the diagnosis of leukaemia came as a shock. A farmer all his life, Rahim sprayed pesticides without gloves or masks, and regularly drank from untreated wells. “I didn’t know it could kill me,” he says from his hospital bed.
His story echoes across dozens of families in the region, where poor labourers and farmers are the most vulnerable, both due to exposure and lack of access to care.
Call For Urgent Action
Public health advocates are calling for urgent government intervention. Recommendations include:
Strict regulation of pesticides and industrial chemicals, especially benzene-based compounds
Routine radiation audits in urban and rural areas
Mass awareness campaigns on food safety and chemical hazards
Subsidies for organic farming and chemical-free produce
Improved cancer screening programs in rural districts
“There’s no magic cure for cancer,” says Dr Sameer Ahmad. “But we can prevent many cases if we clean up the environment, our food, and our habits.”
Conclusion: A Fight We Must Not Ignore
Cancer is no longer a disease of the elite or the elderly in Kashmir it is striking the young, the poor, and the unsuspecting. Behind the rise in numbers is not just fate or bad luck, but a complex web of radiation, chemicals, and poisoned food chains.
Unless immediate steps are taken, this silent crisis could spiral into a full-scale catastrophe — one that Kashmir, despite its beauty, cannot afford to ignore any longer.
The writer is an environmental researcher
Sahil Jahangir Mir
sa***************@***il.com