Srinagar, Oct. 1 -- The leaves begin falling before anyone has finished clearing the first pile.

Around a village park in Kashmir, Chinar leaves spread over paths and lawns in shades of red, gold and brown. Leaves from other trees gather beside them. Workers sweep them into heaps, residents clear courtyards and school grounds, and the piles keep returning with the season.

For many people, the quickest solution is a match.

The smoke rises beside homes and roads, while a useful material disappears into ash. The practice solves the immediate problem of clearing the ground, but it also throws away something that could become garden mulch or compost and creates a seasonal collection problem that villages have largely left to individual hous...