Approximately 70% of the world population uses medicinal plants in more than one ways but quality control of plants is still in the preliminary stage. The poisoning associated with the presence of toxic metals in medicinal plants was reported in Asia, Europe and the United States. With the increasing demand and popularization of herbals world over, the quality and safety assessment of raw material becomes absolutely essential. This is the first report to assess toxic heavy metal in the Zingiber officinale, collected from different locations of North Western Himalayas. It reconfirms the earlier studies done on various other medicinal plants and vegetables that soil plays a vital role in deciding heavy metal content inside the plant but it is not the only source for these elements. This type of study will not only underline the role and responsibility of regulatory and monitoring authorities in safety assessment of the raw materials as food/ingredients and herbal preparations but will also help growers in judiciously selecting the plant-type and the site of cultivation.