Reducing "Stubble Burning" to improve air quality and child respiratory health

Stubble burning (burning of fields to remove crop residue after harvest) each November in Punjab contributes to New Delhi’s high air pollution and to local air pollution in Punjab. Respiratory problems among children are one major cost of this practice. To address stubble burning, the Government of Punjab (GoP) is encouraging adoption of a tractor attachment (“Happy Seeder”) that tills the stubble into the soil, obviating the need for burning. The pilot will explore three possible interventions: (1) subsidies for Happy Seeder purchase, (2) marketing campaign to increase take-up, and (3) training on proper use to encourage adoption of this technology. GoP is interested in the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing stubble burning, and the study will also assess their impacts on local air pollution and child respiratory health.

This pilot study is now closed. It tested and refined interventions, and developed into a full randomized evaluation in 2019.