In the state of Punjab in India, burning residue from the annual rice paddy harvest is a practice that dates back decades. Crop waste burning emits particulate matter (both PM10 and PM2.5) and greenhouse gases (GHG), which aggravate the poor air quality in Punjab, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

This issue brief uses freely available data from satellite-based monitoring, in addition to information from 48 low-cost sensors deployed in four districts in Punjab, to examine seasonal crop residue burning.

Solid biomass from forests, farms and cities provides a major energy source for heat and power generation, potentially accounting for a fifth of global energy consumption by 2050 amid accelerated adoption of renewables.

The Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions is the first-ever comprehensive scientific assessment of air pollution outlook in the region.

Niti Aayog has proposed 15-point action plan for combating air pollution in ten most polluted cities in the country, including Delhi, Kanpur and Varanasi. The draft action plan titled 'Breathe India' includes encouraging electric vehicles, phasing out private diesel vehicle and development of crop residue utilisation policy.

Every year in India, around 26.45% premature deaths (among people above 25 years) are due to air pollution from thermal power plants and industries.