The field research was carried out in 14 villages in Varanasi and 13 villages in Faridabad between August 1998 and November 1999. Varanasi is in Uttar Pradesh district in northeastern India and Faridabad is in Haryana district just south of New Delhi. The villages selected experience a range of different types of air pollution. Air pollution in urban and peri-urban areas results from both urbanization and industrialization. Studies show that polluted air usually consists of a mixture of pollutants which can adversely affect agriculture in many complex ways.
Air pollution has a major impact on the productivity and efficiency of both people and nature.
It poses a serious health hazard leading to higher levels of morbidity, premature mortality, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory infections. Participatory research methods were used in the project. The research was geared towards listening to the primary stakeholders, around 1200 women and men farmers, thus learning from them about the impacts of air pollution on agriculture, especially in and near urban areas. Listening sessions were conducted with groups of women and men farmers using relevant 'visual' techniques such as participatory mapping, scoring and ranking, and Venn diagramming. The farmers' perspectives are alternative views on pollution and are important from their positions as primary stakeholders.