What is Soil Pollution and how it is caused?
In short
Soil pollution is the addition of harmful substances that degrade soil's physical, chemical and biological properties, reducing fertility and entering the food chain. It is caused by excessive fertilisers and pesticides, industrial waste with heavy metals, urban solid waste and sludge, radioactive waste, acid rain and erosion after deforestation.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 255 words
Soil Pollution Defined
Soil pollution alters physical, chemical, and biological soil properties, reducing fertility and causing bioaccumulation of toxins that enter the food chain.
Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides
Indiscriminate use of pesticides, such as endosulfan in Kerala’s cashew plantations before its 2011 ban and heavy spraying on chilli and cotton in Andhra Pradesh, and of chemical fertilizers disrupts soil microbes, increase salinity, and degrade soil quality.
Industrial and Urban Waste
Industrial effluents containing heavy metals near Visakhapatnam and urban solid waste in Vijayawada and Guntur contaminate soil and groundwater.
Deforestation and Soil Erosion
In drought-prone Rayalaseema, deforestation and soil erosion remove protective vegetation, increasing vulnerability to pollutants and worsening soil degradation.
Organic Farming and Regulation
Promote organic manures and balanced fertiliser use under the Soil Health Card scheme; enforce zero liquid discharge norms in industrial clusters to prevent toxic waste dumping.
Urban Waste and Conservation
Improve urban waste management and afforestation in drought-prone Rayalaseema through contour bunding and watershed management to prevent erosion and maintain soil health, aligning with the environmental dimension of sustainable development.
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