ABSTRACT
Varanasi and Faridabad are the two districts selected for the study on the impact of air pollution on agriculture and livelihood in urban and peri-urban areas. This chapter deals with a comparative picture of people's perception on the issues at hand. Varanasi and Faridabad are located in two vastly contrasting settings both politically, economically and agro-ecologically. Patterns of livelihood were analysed in villages of both the districts, by men and women separately. In most villages studied in Faridabad and Varanasi, agriculture is very important. The composition of the farming community in Varanasi is different from that of the farming community in Faridabad. Throughout the villages farming practices have changed. There are three agricultural seasons in Faridabad, namely, Kharif, Rabi and Jayad. In Varanasi there are only two cultivation seasons, namely, Kharif and Rabi. Different kinds of pollutants are present in Varanasi and Faridabad as described by the local village communities. Such pollutants are basically air and water.
