A mixed-methods community-based participatory research to explore stakeholder's perspectives and to quantify the effect of crop residue burning on air and human health in Central India: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Crop residue burning adversely affects air quality and consequently human health. India, being one of the largest agro-economies of the world, produces around 500 Million tonnes of crop residue annually most of which is burnt on-farm. However, integrated studies that simultaneously quantify the effects of crop residue burning while exploring the subjective determinants of the practice are lacking in India. This paper describes the protocol for a longitudinal mixed methods research study employing a community-based participatory approach to fill this gap. METHODS: Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected in a rural setting of the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh, over 1 year. A steering committee comprising of the research team and community representatives will be formed. The proportion of cultivable land burnt in one crop burning season will be estimated. The association between crop residue burning, level of ambient air pollutants, and pulmonary function of village residents will be determined. Focus groups, interviews, and participatory rural appraisal methods will be used to explore stakeholder perspectives about crop residue burning. Potential barriers and opportunities for substituting burning with an alternative crop residue management technique will be ascertained as the basis for future interventions. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (No: NIREH/BPL/IEC/2019-20/1494, dt 06/01/2020). DISCUSSION: This manuscript describes the protocol for a novel community-based participatory study to investigate thoroughly the phenomenon of crop residue burning from the perspective of the agricultural community through their active collaboration. The lack of comprehensive evidence regarding the factors responsible for crop residue burning in India underlines the importance of implementing this study protocol to fill in this critical gap in knowledge. While acknowledging that findings of this study will be not generalizable to agricultural communities other than the one studied, it is expected that the study will generate baseline evidence that might be beneficial in developing and implementing an appropriate intervention strategy.

Environmental monitoring and health assessment in an industrial town in central India: A cross-sectional study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Textile industry has been widely implicated in environmental pollution. The health effects of residing near manufacturing industries are not well documented in India, especially in central India. Hence, a cross-sectional environmental monitoring and health assessment study was initiated as per directions of the local authorities. METHODS: Comprehensive exposure data about the concentrations of relevant pollutants in the ambient air and ground water samples in the study area will be collected over one year. Using stratified random sampling, 3003 apparently healthy adults will be selected from the study area. Sociodemographic and anthropometric information, relevant medical and family history, and investigations including spirometry, electrocardiogram, neurobehavioral tests, and laboratory investigations (complete blood count, lipid profile and random blood glucose) will be conducted. Finally Iodine azide test and heavy metal level detection in urine and blood samples respectively will be conducted in a subset of selected participants to assess individual pollution exposure. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (No: NIREH/IEC-7-II/1027, dated 07/01/2021). DISCUSSION: This manuscript describes the protocol for a multi-disciplinary study that aims to conduct environmental monitoring and health assessment in residential areas near viscose rayon and associated chemical manufacturing industries. Although India is the second largest manufacturer of rayon, next only to China, and viscose rayon manufacturing has been documented to be a source of multiple toxic pollutants, there is a lack of comprehensive information about the health effects of residing near such manufacturing units in India. Therefore implementing this study protocol will aid in filling in this knowledge gap.

Evaluation of health impacts of the improved housing conditions on under-five children in the socioeconomically underprivileged families in central India: A 1-year follow-up study protocol.

Unacceptable housing conditions prevalent in Indian urban slums adversely affect the health of residents. The Government of India initiated the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) as a sub-mission under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), to provide basic services to the urban poor. As per the available scientific literature, the health effects of such improved housing schemes for the poor have not been studied so far in India, especially in under-five children (0-5 years old) who spend most of their time indoors. The present paper describes the protocol for a follow-up research study proposed to fill this gap. This study, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (Sanction No. 5/8-4/9/Env/2020-NCD-II dated 21.09.2021), will be conducted in Bhopal in the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh for over 2 years. We will recruit 320 under-five children each from Group 1 (Beneficiary families residing in the houses constructed under BSUP) and Group 2 (Slum dwelling families eligible for improved housing but who did not avail of benefit). Eligible children will be recruited in the first household visit. During the same visit, we will record clinical history, examination findings and take anthropometric measurements of participants. We will also collect data regarding socio-economic-environmental parameters of the house. During subsequent monthly follow-up visits, we will collect primary data on morbidity profile, anthropometric details and medical history over 1 year. Approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (No: NIREH/BPL/IEC/2020-21/198, dated 22/06/2020). This study will evaluate the impact of different housing conditions on the health of under-five children. Finding of this research will be beneficial in guiding future housing-related policy decisions in low- and middle-income countries.

Performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in maize-chickpea sequence under various integrated nutrient modules in a Vertisol of Central India.

Present investigation was conducted at the Research Farm of Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal during 2017-18 and 2018-19 to study the performance of chickpea crop under various nutrient management modules in a Vertisol. The field experiment was set up in a randomized block design with three replications of twelve different INM modules. During the rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19, the chickpea (cv. JG-315) was grown with a set of treatments. The crop's performance was evaluated in terms of growth, yield (grain and straw), nutritional content, and nutrient uptake under different treatments. At crop harvest, the physic-chemical characteristics of the soil were also evaluated. Finally, the relationship between the numerous examined parameters was determined. The results showed that integrated nutrient management modules had a positive impact on chickpea crop performance and productivity when compared to using only inorganic fertilizer. The INM modules dramatically increased soil organic carbon and improved soil health in terms of physical and chemical qualities, in addition to higher crop performance. Among the various modules, (1) application of 75% STCR dose + FYM @ 5t ha-1to maize followed by 100% P only to chickpea and (2) application of FYM @ 20t ha-1to maize followed by FYM @ 5t ha-1 to chickpea increased the productivity and nutrient uptake in chickpea, improved soil physico-chemical properties and reflected as viable technique in improving soil nutrient availability on sustainable basis.