Perceptions of air pollution from stubble burning and its health risks in Punjab, India

In the state of Punjab, India, where a rice-wheat double cropping system is prevalent, smoke from paddy stubble burning deteriorates air quality in the area and downwind regions. To assess citizens' perception about air pollution, its health risks, and attitude toward stubble burning, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 2202 households in 22 districts of Punjab between August 2020 and January 2021. We explored household- and district-specific factors affecting each dimension of health risk perception using the random-intercept logistic regression model. Among all households, 46% of respondents perceived air pollution in Delhi as "severe" while only 25% perceived that in Punjab areas as "severe". Although 60% of respondents noted that smoke from stubble burning did not affect their health or that of their families, more than 65% considered stubble burning to be a major issue. Respondents whose family members have health issues or who are aware of the health risks of air pollution were more likely to perceive smoke from stubble burning is harmful to health. Our findings suggest that while households are aware of the poor air quality in Delhi, they did not recognize stubble burning to be the main cause - in part due to lack of observational evidence.