or
Sign in with lockrMail

Air Pollution Has Dropped in India, Due to the Coronavirus Lockdown

Lizzy Rosenberg - Author
By

Updated April 29 2020, 4:55 p.m. ET

istock
Source: iStock

A view of Delhi, from above.

Quarantining in the name of the coronavirus means a few different things: non-essential businesses have shutdown completely, city streets are effectively cleared due to social distancing, and almost all kinds of travel have come to a halt. And while the pandemic has undeniably been debilitating for thousands of individuals, as well as the economy, environmental restoration has been an unexpected bright spot. 

Article continues below advertisement

India's air pollution during the coronavirus lockdown, for example, has drastically plummeted since residents started taking the quarantine seriously — stay tuned for a tidbit of good news amid these truly chaotic times.

istock
Source: iStock

Mumbai, India - April 16, 2013: The gate of India in Mumbai.

Article continues below advertisement

India's air pollution levels have dropped dramatically, especially in major cities.

To halt the escalation of the coronavirus, which has reportedly spread to about 1,300 people in India and claimed more than 600 lives, most of the nation's offices, factories, and stores have completely closed down. Airports have closed their doors, and cars are no longer flooding the streets as they usually do, according to Gizmodo. 

And for predominantly this reason, residents have noticed much clearer skies in major cities like New Delhi, which happens to be one of the most polluted cities on the planet. 

Levels of PM 2.5, one of the most dangerous air pollutants in the world, have reportedly dropped by 71 percent over the course of just one week, according to CNN. The same goes for levels of Nitrogen Dioxide, which is another particularly harmful pollutant. And this isn't only the case for New Delhi — apparently, pollutants have completely tanked throughout other major cities as well, including: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

Article continues below advertisement
istock
Source: iStock

India's air pollution is a truly fatal issue.

Not only does India's air pollution heavily cloud the skies, making it nearly impossible to see stars and skyscrapers, but its high levels of toxic chemicals are actually fatal. According to Reuters, the nation's infamously poisonous air killed 1.24 million back in 2017, according to a study that was published in Lancet Planetary Health. Health problems derived from air pollution also make it harder to fight off respiratory viruses, making India residents susceptible to the fatal effects of COVID-19.

Article continues below advertisement

Dr. Gufran Beig, who is a project director at environmental monitoring agency SAFAR, mainly attributes the dramatic fall in air pollutants to the reduction in car traffic. India's city streets are usually clogged with cars, motorcycles, scooters, and rickshaws. However, over the last several weeks, India's city streets have been essentially empty... and locals are starting to notice the unusually clean air quality.

“We went for a walk and my wife found that breathing was easier,” 74-year-old Francis Braganza told Reuters. Francis' wife apparently suffers from chronic breathing problems, which he mostly attributes to India's toxic air quality.

Article continues below advertisement
istock
Source: iStock

New Delhi, India - November 12, 2012. Daily street life in the early morning during extreme smog conditions. New Delhi air quality has plummeted over the last few years and is now considered some of the worst in the entire planet.

Hopefully India's air pollution continues to fall, but residents worry harmful chemicals will spike — once again — when businesses re-open, and traffic resumes. We're praying for India to recover from COVID-19, but we also hope they take air quality into consideration, once resident's lives go back to what they once were.

Advertisement
More from Green Matters

The best way to prevent contracting or spreading coronavirus is with thorough hand washing and social distancing. If you feel you may be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, which include persistent cough (usually dry), fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue, please call your doctor before going to get tested. For comprehensive resources and updates, visit the CDC website. If you are experiencing anxiety about the virus, seek out mental health support from your provider or visit NAMI.org.

David Attenborough On Why We Can't Let the Coronavirus Obstruct Climate Action

Greta Thunberg Believes She Had COVID-19, Encourages Others to Self-Isolate

Without the Usual Crowds, Sea Turtles Have Started Hatching on Brazil's Empty Beaches

Latest Coronavirus and the Environment News and Updates

    Opt-out of personalized ads

    © Copyright 2024 Engrost, Inc. Green Matters is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.