survey. In order to further work on the economic cost, we resurveyed the same
villages where PPCB conducted its exercise of measuring air pollutant before and
after the burning. This exercise assumes that the findings of the PPCB exercise are
still valid and no significant change has occurred neither in the incidences of
burning nor in the pollutant emitted into the air by the exercise of burning in those
areas.
Looking at some of the household and agricultural characteristics, the Nabha
Tehsil under Patiala District has a total population of 251,326 with 75.33 % of it
confined in the rural sector and 24.67 % in the urban sector. Out of operated area
26,395 acres of land is under wheat and 28,359 acres of land is under rice crop in
the Nabha Tehsil. Data on the health status and socioeconomic variables of
households for this exercise were collected through a household survey conducted
for this study for the above-mentioned three villages in the month of May 2009 and
is based on the recall memory. Selection of households in the respective villages
was based on stratified random sampling.
The selection of villages was purposive as has been documented above. After
selecting the villages, a list of all households including those who were cultivators,
agricultural laborers and those who were working in the other formal or informal
sectors like regular government or private services, self-business, and pension
holders was worked out. Stratification was done for the cultivating households in
terms of marginal farmers (≤2.5 acres), small farmers (2.51–5.0 acres), medium
farmers (5.01–10.0 acres), and large farmers (above 10.0 acres). The farmers were
selected on the basis of stratified random sampling method. From each village,
approximately 10 farmers were selected for each category. Thus, total 40 farmers
were selected from each village and 120 farmers were selected from all the three
villages. In addition to cultivating households, a total number of 10 landless
laborers were selected from every village. Thus total 30 numbers of agricultural
laborers were selected from all the three villages. Therefore, the aggregate sample
consists of a total number of 150 households surveyed for this exercise.
The questionnaire used for the household survey had twelve sections seeking
detailed information on various aspects of inputs–outputs used by the farmers for
agricultural practices, disposal of crop residues and socioeconomic characteristics.
Sections 1 and 2 of the questionnaire provide information on individual household
members’ profile in terms of their age, education sex, occupation, marital status,
etc. Section 3 deals with the information on end use of straw and health effects of
the burning. It gives information on the current health status of individuals,
symptoms of illnesses linked to air pollution exposure, averting and mitigation
activities followed by all the members in a household during the designated months
when the rice straw burning was happening. Subsections also provide information
on whether a particular individual is suffering from any chronic diseases. There was
question also on the general awareness of households about the illnesses that occur
due to air pollution. Sections 4–7 seek information regarding agriculture productivity, input usage, stubble management, etc. Sections 8 and 9 provide information
on medical expenditure and workdays lost during the designated period of rice
straw burning. The former section provides information on the expenditure on
Economic Impact of Air Pollution from Agricultural …
301
villages where PPCB conducted its exercise of measuring air pollutant before and
after the burning. This exercise assumes that the findings of the PPCB exercise are
still valid and no significant change has occurred neither in the incidences of
burning nor in the pollutant emitted into the air by the exercise of burning in those
areas.
Looking at some of the household and agricultural characteristics, the Nabha
Tehsil under Patiala District has a total population of 251,326 with 75.33 % of it
confined in the rural sector and 24.67 % in the urban sector. Out of operated area
26,395 acres of land is under wheat and 28,359 acres of land is under rice crop in
the Nabha Tehsil. Data on the health status and socioeconomic variables of
households for this exercise were collected through a household survey conducted
for this study for the above-mentioned three villages in the month of May 2009 and
is based on the recall memory. Selection of households in the respective villages
was based on stratified random sampling.
The selection of villages was purposive as has been documented above. After
selecting the villages, a list of all households including those who were cultivators,
agricultural laborers and those who were working in the other formal or informal
sectors like regular government or private services, self-business, and pension
holders was worked out. Stratification was done for the cultivating households in
terms of marginal farmers (≤2.5 acres), small farmers (2.51–5.0 acres), medium
farmers (5.01–10.0 acres), and large farmers (above 10.0 acres). The farmers were
selected on the basis of stratified random sampling method. From each village,
approximately 10 farmers were selected for each category. Thus, total 40 farmers
were selected from each village and 120 farmers were selected from all the three
villages. In addition to cultivating households, a total number of 10 landless
laborers were selected from every village. Thus total 30 numbers of agricultural
laborers were selected from all the three villages. Therefore, the aggregate sample
consists of a total number of 150 households surveyed for this exercise.
The questionnaire used for the household survey had twelve sections seeking
detailed information on various aspects of inputs–outputs used by the farmers for
agricultural practices, disposal of crop residues and socioeconomic characteristics.
Sections 1 and 2 of the questionnaire provide information on individual household
members’ profile in terms of their age, education sex, occupation, marital status,
etc. Section 3 deals with the information on end use of straw and health effects of
the burning. It gives information on the current health status of individuals,
symptoms of illnesses linked to air pollution exposure, averting and mitigation
activities followed by all the members in a household during the designated months
when the rice straw burning was happening. Subsections also provide information
on whether a particular individual is suffering from any chronic diseases. There was
question also on the general awareness of households about the illnesses that occur
due to air pollution. Sections 4–7 seek information regarding agriculture productivity, input usage, stubble management, etc. Sections 8 and 9 provide information
on medical expenditure and workdays lost during the designated period of rice
straw burning. The former section provides information on the expenditure on
Economic Impact of Air Pollution from Agricultural …
301