How to beat air pollution? Stop burning the fields

Instead of contributing to smog by burning stubble, farmers are learning that waste products can be turned into profit

Deep breath. Autumn in India is smog season, the worst time of year for some of the world’s most polluted cities.

There’s a reason for this. In addition to everyday problems such as traffic, industry, domestic cooking and road dust, this is the time of year when farmers set fire to their post-harvest fields. It’s called “stubble burning” – a cheap and easy way to deal with crop residue that needs clearing for the next planting season.