The Government of India ordered a 21-day lockdown beginning from 24 March,

2020 as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic that was spreading
rapidly in India, with the total number of cases in the country touching the 500 mark.

The lockdown brought with itself many unexpected benefits. Till date, it has been
relatively successful in containing the spread of the virus among the Indian
population. The primary aim of flattening the curve (delaying and reducing the peak)
of the number of cases in the country was achieved to a great extent. The time of
doubling of the number of cases was increased drastically. According to an
estimate, if the lockdown had not been initiated, it could have taken 2.5 million lives
by mid-June, a level which has not been touched even in August. The lockdown
was focused mainly on protecting the most vulnerable groups which includes the
people with age over 60 and those with co-morbidities.

Apart from epidemiological control of COVID-19, the lockdown had a host of

unintended positive consequences on the environment. Rivers across India,
notorious for their water quality, were observed to be markedly cleaner. The river
Yamuna, which has become infamous for its water quality, was found to be its
cleanest self. According to NASA, the level of aerosols in the air over India was also
at its lowest ever since it has been monitored. Air quality was reported to be
improved phenomenally in the cities where air pollution is a major problem.
According to the World Bank, India’s air quality has shown a positive trend since
2018, which has accelerated due to the national lockdown.