For Kashmir’s poorest labourers, the walnut harvest has become a deadly gamble.
At least seven workers have died in walnut-tree falls since harvesting began in late August, a period of just over two weeks.
Several others have suffered serious injuries, including spinal damage that has left them paralysed for life.
Most victims were breadwinners who climbed tall walnut trees without helmets, harnesses or other protective gear to earn seasonal income.
Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, 46, of Damjan, Qazigund, died Aug. 30 after falling while harvesting. He left behind his wife, Meena Jan, a daughter pursuing graduation and a son in Class 12.
“I don’t know who will take care of my two children now. He used to sustain our family and was everything for us,” his wife said.
Abdul Hamid Wani, 55, of Kund, Kulgam, fell on Sept. 4 while harvesting in his orchard. He was taken to GMC Anantnag, referred to SKIMS Soura and died the next day.
“We own only a few walnut trees. My father harvested them to support the family. We are already struggling to survive,” said his son, Gowhar Wani, a pharmacist. Wani is survived by his wife, two sons and four daughters.
Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, 50, of Laribal, Tral, was a seasonal labourer who earned Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 for every eight large bags of walnuts he harvested. He fell while threshing walnuts Sept. 1 and later died at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.
“The businessman earns well, but it is always the labourer’s life on the line. My husband worked hard, yet his life was not valued,” his wife said.
Mohammad Ashraf, 33, of Khaipora Khag in Beerwah, Budgam, died Sept. 5 after falling from a walnut tree.
“He lived in abject poverty. He was a hardworking man, and his death leaves a void impossible to fill,” a neighbour said.
Hilal Ahmad Mir, 33, of Puchal, Pulwama, died Sept. 2 after suffering serious injuries in a fall. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
Ashiq Hussain, 35, of Pawadan village in Uri, Baramulla, died earlier in August after falling while threshing walnuts.
As this report was being written on Sept. 10, Mukhtar Ahmad Najr, 46, of Jiabal-Lamer in Kulgam district died after falling from a walnut tree while plucking the fruit. He was shifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The deaths have renewed concern over a harvest that still relies on dangerous manual methods.
Plucking walnuts requires workers to climb 20- to 30-foot trees with slippery bark, balance on branches and strike them with long sticks called Laanz. Helmets, harnesses and safety nets are rarely used.
Wet weather can make the work even more dangerous by leaving bark and branches slippery.
“People think this is simple work,” said Farooq Ahmad, chairperson of Help Poor Voluntary Trust, which supports victims of walnut-tree falls. “But one slip can be catastrophic. These men risk their lives because they have no other livelihood.”
The trust provides medicines and hospital care to injured workers and is trying to provide safety gear to poor seasonal labourers.
“Revenue and law enforcement agencies must ensure labourers are fully protected before they climb,” said Muhamad Ali Lone of the trust. “No one should be allowed to risk life for a bag.”
Medical research shows the wider toll.
A Srinagar Bone and Joint Hospital study, ‘Walnut Tree Falls as a Cause of Musculoskeletal Injury’ – A Study from a Tertiary Care Centre in Kashmir, by Dr. Asif Nazir Baba and others, found that falls can cause fatal head injuries, spinal damage leading to lifelong paralysis and fractures that can leave victims dependent on others.
In 2025 alone, eight men died, dozens suffered spinal injuries and hundreds were treated for fractures and other serious injuries in hospitals across Kashmir.
“Most victims are young men, the sole earners for their families. The burden on hospitals is tremendous, and these injuries are largely preventable,” said Baba, professor of orthopaedics.
A separate 2025 study, ‘From Injury to Economic Strain: Assessing the Unseen Costs of Labour Risks in Kashmir’s Walnut Harvesting Industry,’ examined 150 labourers in Kupwara and Ganderbal and records of 95 workers treated at SKIMS Soura.
It found falls from height were the main occupational hazard, with injuries including spinal trauma, head injuries, internal bleeding and lung damage. Of the 95 hospital cases, 12 workers were brought dead and 13 died within 24 to 72 hours of admission.
Workers typically spend 7.5 to 8.5 hours a day harvesting, often using long bamboo or wooden sticks from considerable heights. The study cited the lack of helmets, harnesses and fall-arrest systems and recommended mechanical harvesting and pruning equipment, mandatory safety kits, worker training, health insurance and compensation for injured workers and families of those killed.
Farmers and safety advocates are calling for helmets, harnesses, safety nets and non-slip boots, along with pre-season training and the mapping and controlled removal of high-risk trees.
They also want ageing trees replaced with shorter hybrid varieties.
“Old trees need to be replaced as many of them have low yields, while decomposed branches also pose a serious risk to workers,” said Muhamad Ashraf, a walnut farmer from Salia, Anantnag. He called for free distribution of hybrid walnut plants.
The danger is not new. Every walnut harvest in Kashmir brings similar risks.
In 2025, eight people died and several sustained severe injuries- including spinal damage.
Among the victims was a 38-year-old Noor Muhammad of Lankreshipora, Bandipora, who died after being struck by a walnut branch.
“Our father left behind five children and my mother. He worked every day to provide for us. Now we are struggling to survive. Our relatives support us, but life has changed forever,” said his elder son, Umar, 17.
Neighbour Farooq Ahmad Reshi said Muhammad lived in abject poverty and had built a small house only months before his death.
Walnut cultivation covers about 95,601 hectares in Jammu and Kashmir, more than 85% of India’s walnut cultivation area, according to departmental data. Kashmir accounts for about 56,721 hectares, with Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama and Kupwara among the major producing districts.
Jammu and Kashmir produces about 2.66 lakh metric tonnes of walnuts annually, while growers face growing competition from imported walnuts, particularly from China, Chile and California.
For labourers who depend on the harvest for seasonal income, one fall can take a breadwinner’s life and leave a family struggling for years.
