only increases individuals’ diseases mitigation expense but also affects their
productivity at work. Most of the studies valuing health impacts of air pollution
remain confined to urban areas as air pollution is considered mainly the problem of
urban areas in developing countries. Though health consequences from burning of
agricultural residue are not fully understood, relative short exposure may be more of
a nuisance rather than a real health hazard. Many of the components of agricultural
smoke cause health problem under certain conditions (Long et al. 1998). This paper
attempts to measure the value of health effects of air pollution for the rural Punjab,
where air pollution problems happen from crop residue burning.
The rice and wheat system (RWS) is one of the widely practiced cropping
systems in northern India. About 90–95 % of the rice area is used under intensive
RWS in Punjab (Gadde et al. 2009). Widespread adoption of green revolution
technologies and high-yielding variety of seeds increased both, crop as well as crop
residue. In the past few decades intensive mechanization of agriculture has been
occurring and combine
1 harvesting is one such input, particularly in the RWS. Note
that in the RWS a short period of time is available between rice harvesting and
wheat plantation, and any delay in planting adversely affects the wheat crop. This
coupled with combine harvesting compels the farmers to burn the residue to get rid
of stubble left out after the harvest. It is estimated that 22,289 Gg of rice straw
surplus is produced in India each year out of which 13,915 Gg is estimated to be
burnt in the field. The two states namely Punjab and Haryana alone contribute 48 %
of the total and are subject to open-field burning (Gadde et al. 2009). Burning of
straw emits emission of trace gases like CO 2, CH 4 , CO, N 2 O, NO X , SO 2 , and large
amount of particulates which cause adverse impacts on human health. It is estimated that India annually emits 144,719 Mg of total particulate matter from
open-field burning of rice straw (Gadde et al. 2009).
There are many studies in developed countries that estimate the value of adverse
health effects of air pollution (Gerking and Linda 1986; Dockery et al. 1993;
Schwartz 1993; Pope et al. 1995, etc.). Similar evidences are available from India
and other developing countries (e.g., Cropper et al. 1997; Kumar and Rao 2001;
Murty et al. 2003; Gupta 2008; Chestnut et al. 1997; Alberini and Krupnick 2000).
These studies used either household health production model or damage function or
cost of illness approaches to estimate the monetary value of health damage caused
due to ambient air pollution.
Cropper et al. (1997) using dose-response model found that a 100-µg/m
3
increase in total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) leads to 2.3 % increase in
trauma deaths in Delhi. Kumar and Rao (2001) estimated the household health
production function using data of working individuals of the residential complex of
Panipat Thermal Power Station in Haryana, India and find that individual
1
The combine harvester, also called combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. It combines
into a single operation processes that previously required three separate operations, that is, reaping,
binding, and threshing.
298
S. Kumar and P. Kumar
productivity at work. Most of the studies valuing health impacts of air pollution
remain confined to urban areas as air pollution is considered mainly the problem of
urban areas in developing countries. Though health consequences from burning of
agricultural residue are not fully understood, relative short exposure may be more of
a nuisance rather than a real health hazard. Many of the components of agricultural
smoke cause health problem under certain conditions (Long et al. 1998). This paper
attempts to measure the value of health effects of air pollution for the rural Punjab,
where air pollution problems happen from crop residue burning.
The rice and wheat system (RWS) is one of the widely practiced cropping
systems in northern India. About 90–95 % of the rice area is used under intensive
RWS in Punjab (Gadde et al. 2009). Widespread adoption of green revolution
technologies and high-yielding variety of seeds increased both, crop as well as crop
residue. In the past few decades intensive mechanization of agriculture has been
occurring and combine
1 harvesting is one such input, particularly in the RWS. Note
that in the RWS a short period of time is available between rice harvesting and
wheat plantation, and any delay in planting adversely affects the wheat crop. This
coupled with combine harvesting compels the farmers to burn the residue to get rid
of stubble left out after the harvest. It is estimated that 22,289 Gg of rice straw
surplus is produced in India each year out of which 13,915 Gg is estimated to be
burnt in the field. The two states namely Punjab and Haryana alone contribute 48 %
of the total and are subject to open-field burning (Gadde et al. 2009). Burning of
straw emits emission of trace gases like CO 2, CH 4 , CO, N 2 O, NO X , SO 2 , and large
amount of particulates which cause adverse impacts on human health. It is estimated that India annually emits 144,719 Mg of total particulate matter from
open-field burning of rice straw (Gadde et al. 2009).
There are many studies in developed countries that estimate the value of adverse
health effects of air pollution (Gerking and Linda 1986; Dockery et al. 1993;
Schwartz 1993; Pope et al. 1995, etc.). Similar evidences are available from India
and other developing countries (e.g., Cropper et al. 1997; Kumar and Rao 2001;
Murty et al. 2003; Gupta 2008; Chestnut et al. 1997; Alberini and Krupnick 2000).
These studies used either household health production model or damage function or
cost of illness approaches to estimate the monetary value of health damage caused
due to ambient air pollution.
Cropper et al. (1997) using dose-response model found that a 100-µg/m
3
increase in total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) leads to 2.3 % increase in
trauma deaths in Delhi. Kumar and Rao (2001) estimated the household health
production function using data of working individuals of the residential complex of
Panipat Thermal Power Station in Haryana, India and find that individual
1
The combine harvester, also called combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. It combines
into a single operation processes that previously required three separate operations, that is, reaping,
binding, and threshing.
298
S. Kumar and P. Kumar