Human beings often forget that we are largely dependent on Mother Nature and become ignorant towards taking care of it. We have been so reluctant to the preservation of natural resources and sustainable development that we had forgotten the beauty of the Earth completely.
The Covid-19 lockdown imposed throughout the world has struck a chord in every one of us and it has made us thinking how nature is so important for our day to day living. The tangible improvements in nature have made us believe that the Earth can be saved.
It has made us see that our actions can very well impact the Earth’s sustainability. For breathing pure air to greener trees, spotting various wildlife into the cities here are some important environmental changes that we have seen for coronavirus lockdown in India:
1. Improvement in air quality
New Delhi was ranked as the most polluted city in the world by WHO in May 2014. The usual air quality of India’s national capital according to the air quality index used to be 200. When the pollution level hit its peak, the pollution level soared to 900 and sometimes, off the measurable scale.
While 200 itself is 25 percent above unsafe level as deemed by World Health Organization, but as Delhi’s 11 million registered cars were taken off the roads and factories and construction were ground to a halt, AQI levels have regularly fallen below 20. The skies are suddenly a rare, piercing blue. Even the birdsong seems louder.
In the capital of New Delhi, government data shows the average concentration of PM 2.5 plunged by 71 percent in the space of a week — falling from 91 micrograms per cubic meter on March 20, to 26 on March 27, after the lockdown began.
2. Dolphins spotted near Kolkata ghats
Critically endangered, South Asian River Dolphins also known as Ganges Dolphins have been spotted back in the Ganga river after 30 years.
Due to the reduced pollution in water, the South Asian River Dolphins have been spotted at various Ganga Ghats of Kolkata.
3. The number of flamingos increased in Mumbai
As a result of the lockdown imposed due to Covid-19, tens of thousands of flamingos have gathered in the city of Navi Mumbai. The birds normally migrate to the area every year, but residents have reported that this year they have seen a massive increase in their numbers.
They say water is #pink in #Mumbai as #flamingos have arrived in record number. They say there are no people to enjoy. Via @firstpost pic.twitter.com/tH4lUmzhHL
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 23, 2020
4. Ganga fit for drinking in Haridwar
The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board Water from Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar was tested and the results from the tests reveal that the water here has been classified as ‘fit for drinking after chlorination’, for the first time in decades.
India Today got talking to a CPCB scholar who is involved in the Clean Ganga project when asked about the rapid improvement in the water quality of Ganga water in Haridwar the source said that “the major pollutant of the river water was Industrial and Municipality wastewater.”
It is assumed that due to the lockdown, the drainage of industrial waste into the river water has stopped and brought a significant change in the water quality.
Haridwar ke darshan kar lo friends..
— Ulta Jawab AGAIN (@AgainUlta) April 10, 2020
Sala saari duniya ki problem hum log he the.. look at the beautiful clean water.. pic.twitter.com/XDkDvJwHa8
“Change in the former is there but not much change in the later. Water quality improved in the upstream but downstream Varanasi has seen very little change,” said a CPCB scholar working on the Clean Ganga project, on conditions of anonymity.
When asked about ways to better the water quality of river Ganga and maintain an equilibrium the source said, “Proper navigation plan keeping the faunal diversity in mind (very little study data available) is important. Also, the treatment plant capacity needs to be increased.”
The source further added that “more treatment is required at the industrial source point and municipalities need to work in action.”
With hope in our hearts to surpass the hard times, we shall move to a future of refined lifestyle choices to preserve Mother Nature and hope to be working cumulatively to restore our planet earth from the destruction that had been caused over the several years.
