A farmer burns paddy stubble at a field in Patran, Punjab, India. Every year around 2 million farmers across Punjab and Haryana set their fields aflame resulting in heavy smog and severe air pollution in Delhi and the neighbouring regions of Northern India. Studies estimated that each year tens of thousands of citizens die from respiratory illnesses due to air pollution.
From October through December, a thick and deadly haze hangs over New Delhi, India's capital of roughly 30 million residents. This annual crisis is rooted in seasonally slower winds, mixed with smoke emitted from coal-fired power plants and exacerbated by thousands of fires in the agricultural fields of Punjab and Haryana, the two states northwest of New Delhi.
Burning fields at Kanoi village, Punjab. Every year around 2 million farmers across Punjab and Haryana set their fields aflame resulting in heavy smog and severe air pollution in Delhi and the neighbouring regions of Northern India. Studies estimated that each year tens of thousands of citizens die from respiratory illnesses due to air pollution.
Varmu Singh, a landless farmer makes a living by working as a contract labourer at other people’s farm.
A close up of Sardar Amar Singh’s hand with an amputated finger which he lost while working on a wheat cutting machine. Singh owns a farm less than an acre in size that gives him a modest harvest. Despite his low income, he understands the importance of scientific farming methods and uses CRM technology like Happy Seeder which he rents from other farmers for harvesting. Singh has been one of the biggest advocate in his village against crop burning and encourages other farmers to take up technology that omits field burning.
Gurdeep Singh, a fourth generation farmer drives a tractor during the rice harvest at his farm in Dhakraba, Punjab. Singh started using a Happy Seeder in 2017. The implement shreds old crop stubble, which eliminates the need for burning. He has seen significant improvements in the quality and yield of grain and believes his crops are able to better withstand strong winds compared to those managed with traditional methods.
Bird's eye view of a wheat farm in Karnal, Haryana. Harvested wheat crops are bundled up to process them for threshing. India has a rain-fed agriculture. With the heatwave and lack of rain, it has affected the wheat production in the country and impacted farmers.
Rice is processed and bagged at a grain market in Samana, Punjab. The government guarantees a minimum price for wheat and rice in case the market price dips too low. This assurance keeps many farmers tied to growing grains. India is the world’s second-largest producer of rice and wheat and it is the cornerstone of the country's food security policy.
A worker carries a bundle of rice straw off Gurdeep Singh’s field. The straw will be used to feed livestock.
Sardar Amar Singh sits in his furniture workshop. He has farmed his entire life and still maintains a field that’s less than one acre. Despite his low income, he understands the importance of scientific farming methods and rents Happy Seeder and Super Seeder for harvesting rice.
Prakashi Devi works at a farm near Ramba village, Karnal region, Haryana. In India, agriculture is mostly associated with men, especially when it comes to decision making and running the business. Women are generally hired as farm labourers.
Labourers take a break from working in a rice paddy in the Karnal region of Haryana. By law, farmers must wait until the arrival of seasonal monsoons to begin planting their crops. But the paddies still require vast amounts of water pumped from wells, putting a great deal of stress on the region.
Farm workers harvest tomatoes in Haryana, India. Farmers also diversify their crops beyond rice and wheat by growing fruits, vegetables and legumes because they require less water and no burning—but farms receive no price guarantees. Many farmers are rapidly shifting from the safer but less profitable option of foodgrain to vegetables becasue of climate change and growing demand for vegetables.
Agriculture is mostly associated with men, especially when it comes to decision making and running the business. Women are generally hired as farm labourers.Amandeep has broken all the stereotypes. She grew up helping her father work in their family’s field and simultaneously educated herself. She completed her bachelors degree in food processing at a college in Patiala. Her family became the first farmers in the community to stop burning paddy stubble and adopt crop-residue management (CRM) technology.
Groom Abhisek Gandhi accompanied by relatives seek blessings from an altar of their forefathers, located at their ancestral farm near Badarpur village, Karnal region, Haryana. Abhisek is the nephew of farmer Rajesh Kumar. Rajesh is a fourth generation farmer and has been farming for 20 years. He works on 70 acre land collectively owned by his three brothers and himself.
Volunteers prepare food at the Golden Temple, Amritsar. The temple's community kitchen is the largest in the world—serving free meals 24 hours a day, all year long. The temple operates through donations of food.
At the Golden Temple in Amritsar, leftover roti breads are collected and will be distributed to feed livestock. The temple's community kitchen is the largest in the world—serving free meals 24 hours a day, all year long. The temple operates through donations of food.
Visitors leave with empty plates after eating at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. The community kitchen at the temple is the largest in the world serving free meals 24 hours a day, all year long. The temple operates through donations of food.