With the nationwide lockdown shutting industries and making people stay indoors for an elongated period, air quality improves and wildlife thrives in urban areas.

On the day of Junta Curfew (March 22), as humans stayed put inside their homes, other creatures came out to have a field day. Pigeons and bonnet macaques were seen reclaiming the streets to themselves. With the nationwide lockdown shutting industries and making people stay indoors for an elongated period, nature is using the time to heal herself.

Air Quality Improves

Over 90 cities across India reported an improvement in air quality including Delhi which is known for its notorious pollution levels. The Central Pollution Control Board placed the national capital under the good category (Air Quality Index range 0-50). For the first time in a lot of years, Delhi’s pollution levels are on the green side of the spectrum. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) reported that the measures against COVID-19 have led to a drop in PM2.5 level in many cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune. PM 2.5 levels decreased by 30% in Delhi and 15% in cities like Ahmedabad and Pune. Nitrogen Oxide, a pollutant that is emitted from vehicle exhausts has seen a drop of 43% in Pune and about a 50% in Ahmedabad. Kanpur, which is also considered to be one of the most polluted cities, fell under the satisfactory category (AQI range 50-100). The CPCB data shows that so far, 39 cities have recorded “good” air quality and 51 cities have recorded “satisfactory” air quality over the last few days.

Wildlife thrives

It isn’t quite often that one spots a Redwattled Lapwig on a terrace in an urban area of Maharashtra. Never-before-seen species of birds started dotting urban landscapes across the country with wildlife enthusiasts posting pictures of the same on the internet. In Kozhikode, a large-spotted civet was caught strolling the streets. In Noida, Nilgais were seen walking outside a mall.

Coimbatore saw its lanes taken over by spotted deer. Over 8 lakh Olive Ridley turtles got to nest peacefully on Rushikulya coast of Odisha. Dolphins were seen playing near Marine Drive of Mumbai. Parveen Kumar, an Indian Forest Service officer has been sharing videos and pictures of wildlife in his Twitter account. In one the videos that he shared, a herd of wild elephants were seen making their way from Assam border into Arunachal Pradesh by crossing a railway track.

Not just in India, but across the world, things are getting better without human activities. The water canals in Venice are getting clearer. Seagulls, pelicans and other birds were seen in the capital city of Lima in Peru.

Humans breathing fresh air and sharing their urban spaces has made many people critically reflect on the notion of development. Perhaps, it would be a good idea to implement phased lockdowns periodically!