ABSTRACT
Varanasi and Faridabad are the two districts selected for the study on the impact of air pollution on agriculture and livelihood in the peri-urban areas. This chapter deals with a comparative picture of people's perception on the issues at hand in respect of the villages covered by the in-depth study. It also deals with livelihood and explores comparative picture of livelihood and agriculture. The chapter describes constraints to agriculture and coping strategies, and also explores specifically with air pollution and its perceived impact on agriculture. The chapter looks at the institutional issues and health problems confronting the two communities. It explains quality of life in Varanasi and Faridabad. Patterns of livelihood were analysed in villages of both the districts, by men and women separately. In the villages of Faridabad and Varanasi, there are clearly indications that villagers are aware of the ongoing industrialisation, benefits from it and the costs involved.
