Ban use of glyphosate across Himachal Pradesh, organisations demand of Sukhwinder Sukhu

The controversy in Himachal Pradesh regarding the cultivation of peas with the herbicide glyphosate on forest land has reached state Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu.

In a letter sent to Sukhu, 44 social and environmental organisations from the state, retired forest department officials, independent researchers and scientists have described the spraying of glyphosate as serious and have demanded an immediate ban on it.

Guman Singh, coordinator of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, said grasses and trees in forests dry up due to spraying of glyphosate and the forests become empty. “In view of this, we have sent a letter to the Chief Minister on August 20, 2026,” he said.

According to the letter, the Forest Department recently took action to uproot such illegal crops in the Thachi Forest Range of the Nachan Forest Division in Mandi district, which is highly commendable.

“However, this incident is not an isolated one. There is a strong suspicion that similar encroachments on forest land are being carried out in other high-altitude areas of the state, where peas and, in some places, hemp are being illegally cultivated. This practice has been ongoing for the past few years. This is a blatant violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002,” noted the letter.

It added that the impact could be even more severe in a mountainous state like Himachal Pradesh, as the lack of vegetation cover can increase the risk of soil erosion, slope instability, landslides, and adverse impacts on water sources. The Himachal Pradesh government has set a commendable target of increasing the state’s forest cover from 29.5 to 32 per cent by 2030 under “Mission 32” to prioritise environmental protection. On the other hand, if forest land is chemically cleared and used for agricultural encroachment, how will this goal of the state’s long-term environmental policy be achieved?

Sukhu has been asked to impose a complete ban, similar to the one in Kerala, on the sale, storage, and spraying of glyphosate 41% SL and all its trade names, such as Roundup, Glycel, Garuda, Hijack, Glyphos, Duster, etc. These products should be strictly monitored in the state, and legal action should be taken if necessary.

According to the letter, complaints regarding the use of herbicides on forest land have been continuously emerging over the past few years. These complaints should be investigated district-wise, and special inspection and monitoring campaigns should be conducted in sensitive and identified forests.

The organisations demanded that the chief minister immediately ban the advertisements and promotional material on social media and other platforms promoting the use of weedicides for clearing forests, drying trees or destroying vegetation and take action against the concerned companies.

As per the letter, wherever there is a complaint of use of glyphosate or other herbicides, scientific investigation of soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity should be done - especially testing of chemical residues - to check the quality of drinking water and water sources.

Forests are not just government land, the letter said. They are the foundation of Himachal Pradesh’s water security, biodiversity, agriculture, tourism, local livelihoods, and the future of future generations. Therefore, the trend of agricultural encroachment on forest land by chemically destroying vegetation should not be considered merely a law-and-order issue, but a serious concern for forest conservation, environmental protection, and public interest.

Mandi DFO SS Kashyap told Down To Earth that they have a zero-tolerance policy in this matter. They are forming teams and taking action across the region to identify such individuals. First information reports will be filed against them. He added that the authorities have destroyed pea cultivation in five small patches so far.