Crop Residue Burning and its Impact on air Quality: A Case Study on Northern India

Crop residue burning (CRB) is a common post-harvest practice in India, where approx. 150 metric tonnes of crop residue are burned annually. CRB has adverse consequences: air quality degradation with pollutants affecting respiratory health and soil structure. Remote sensing data are employed to spatially assess air quality degradation, providing a comprehensive understanding of CRB’s spatial and temporal dynamics and environmental implications. This study introduces a new multi-band vegetation index using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to map crop residue burning. We then assess its impact on air quality with parameters like aerosol, particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides from satellites and ground stations.