A number of studies reveal the contamination of soil by heavy metals through various sources such as industrialization, urbanisation and many more. Another important source of heavy metals is wastewater irrigation, practised across the nations struggling with shortage of water. Though wastewater is a source of nutrients for soil still it may pose the soil to the risk of heavy metal contamination such as Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni etc. With the passage of time concentration of heavy metals may get increased in soil. Many studies indicate that heavy metals have been translocated into the plants and may become part of the food chain causing human health risk. Therefore there is a need toremove these. The review illustrates the methods such as phytoremediation, phytoextraction, phytostabilization and biochar application. A number of plants have been used as hypo accumulators for phytoremediation. Considerable research is still required to arrive at a certain conclusion.