Paper short abstract:

We explore the intersections between agricultural activities, pollution and health in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. We argue that residents’ conceptualize ‘polluting activities’ and health through a pragmatic livelihood lens, rather than through biomedical concepts of sanitation.

Paper long abstract:

Brook and colleagues described, in 2003, peri-urban India as a 'space crying out for attention' (2003: 134). Ten years later, Narain et.al. (2013: 10) argued that peri-urban growth is 'witnessed conspicuously' in India, where a combination of neoliberal policies, a real estate boom, land speculation, the IT boom and government policy (for the relocation of industrial waste and special economic zones) has 'transformed the pace of development'. Characterised by a predominance of poor and disadvantaged residents; a lack of services, infrastructure and facilities; degraded natural resource systems (Dupont, 2007) and industrial hazards (Brook et.al., 2003; Narain and Nischal, 2007; Narain et.al., 2013); the peri-urban is a visible manifestation of urban socio-spatial inequalities.

There is considerable recognition of the intersections between health and poverty in India's peri-urban context (Sharma and Pawar, 2007; Dongre et.al. 2009; Agarwal, 2013; DST, 2008), yet very little understanding of how peri-urban communities understand and conceptualise their experiences and health. Using qualitative research methodologies, this paper explores the intersections between agricultural activities, pollution and health in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. It shows how residents' conceptualization of 'polluting activities', such as the use of sewage for crop irrigation is framed, not by biomedical concepts of health, cleanliness and sanitation, but rather by pragmatic livelihood needs such as getting rid of waste water and rapid crop production for sale at markets. In so doing, the paper focuses on the emic and emotive understandings of urbanization and health of peri-urban residents in rapidly-changing Ghaziabad.