SOCIOLOGY PROJECT:

Environmental Upliftment and Improvement in the

Lockdowns: Myth or Fact?

Submitted by: Samewanhi Submitted to: Dr. Jasleen Kewlani,

Roll No. : 18158 (5th Sem) Assistant Professor

Group No. : 11 of Sociology

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 3
2. RESEARCH QUESTION ............................................................................................... 5
Whether the lockdown has really improved the natural environment? ....................... 5
Impact on air quality .................................................................................................... 5
Impact on river quality ................................................................................................ 6
3. FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................... 8
World Health Organization Report.............................................................................. 8
Global Lockdown ........................................................................................................ 9
4. LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................................. 11
Impact in the rural areas ............................................................................................ 11
Global impact ............................................................................................................ 12
EIA DRAFT 2020 ..................................................................................................... 13
5. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 16
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1. INTRODUCTION

“On 11 March, Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the Director-General of the World
Health Organization. He also briefed on the 13-fold rise in positive cases in China and 114
countries.”1 The first confirmed positive case was registered in India on January 30th in a
student from Thrissur district of Kerala who had returned home for a vacation from Wuhan
University in China followed by two other cases in Kerala having the same history on
February 2 and 3 again.2 The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) announced
10,815 positive cases and 358 deaths in India covering 32 states as of April 14. It is evident
from the figure that corona virus spreading became rapid after March 15 and began to take
a horrible form throughout the world. At the beginning of the pandemic, in comparison to
the top six countries affected, namely the USA, Italy, Spain, China, Germany and Iran, we
in India have less patient-service capacity. With a population of 1.2 billion, India has only
118 research laboratories approved by the Government, 1,1363 beds per thousand patients
(China has 4.2) and more than one million tests completed. On the contrary, India has the
highest rate of recovery of 41.39 percent compared to Italy (16.91 percent) and the USA
(3.17 percent), which is the direct lockdown effect. Although researchers around the globe
are working hard to find the cure of the infection caused by this deadly virus, unfortunately,
no definitive cure or vaccine has been produced to date. At this time, the only way to
control the spread of this disease is proposed to be "social distancing," which is being
practised by many countries at this time of crisis and which has contributed to a global
reduction in greenhouse gas air emissions.

India has witnessed a rapid industrial growth over the past two decades which has definitely
improved its people's living standards and is also evident from the growing vehicle fleet
on the roads. But in terms of poisoning the air we breathe; we have paid a heavy cost for
that growth. According to a World Health Organization press release (2 May 2018), about

1
World Health Organization. 2020. WHO-Director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-
covid-19.www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-
on-covid-19
2
India Today. 2020. Coronavirus in India: Tracking Country's First 50 COVID-19 Cases; what Numbers
Tell.www.indiatoday.in/india/story/coronavirus-in-india-tracking-country-s-first-50-covid-19-cases-what-
numbers-tell-1654468-2020-03-12
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7 million people die per year from exposure to small particles in contaminated air. 3 State of
India 's Environment (SoE), 2019 declared that 12.5 per cent of all deaths in India are
caused by air pollution. India's ecosystem was highly polluted, leaving behind both
pollutant levels and the Air Quality Index. Observing the increasing rate of corona cases in
India and the ensuing crisis, on 24 March 2020, Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri
Narendra Modi declared a complete 21-day lockdown for the entire country during his live
address to the nation, which was extended for 19 days on 14 April 2020 in Phase II followed
by 14 days until 17 May in Phase III and more than 14 days in Phase IV. Various
restrictions raised by GOI and subsequent shutdown, anthropogenic activities such as
industrial projects, movement of vehicles, building projects, tourism and traditional
transport activities witnessed a stagnant period like 'never before.' In India, apart from
taking required administrative steps such as restrictions on social meeting activities, travel
restrictions, containment and care of suspects of the corona, the Government of India (GOI)
has directed people to maintain adequate social distance and use personal protective
equipment such as masks. The COVID-19 has created a disastrous situation for all,
however, and it will also have a detrimental impact on the Indian economy, there is also a
positive side of the coin that can offset COVID-19's woeful reality.

3
World Health Organization . 2018. 9 Out of 10 People Worldwide Breathe Polluted Air, but More Countries
Are Taking Action.www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-
polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action
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2. RESEARCH QUESTION

“WHETHER THE LOCKDOWN HAS REALLY IMPROVED THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ?”

As many of the countries have been practicing self-quarantine and social isolation for more
than two months now, nature has been granted a "healing period" with decreased human
intervention in the natural environment. Significant impact of COVID-19 lockdown can be
observed on air quality, which everyone is experiencing and reported in various official
reports. Smog has given way to blue skies in cities such as Delhi, marine life is seeing
increased development, pollution levels have fallen in almost all metro cities and wildlife,
and birds are flying around on their own. It was also observed that the lockdown has
improved the air quality at a higher scale in metro cities such as Delhi, since the energy
footprint was high. In their air quality studies of the four selected stone crushing clusters
at Eastern India's Dwarka River Basin, Mandal and Pal (2020) noted a reduction in PM10
concentration from 189–278 μg / m3 to 50–60 μg / m3 after 18 days of lockdown. Although
the pandemic situation for humanity is out of reach, the positive side of it has made us
rethink our lives and reorganize them in a way that has less impact on our planet. Today's
situation is a "reset" for nature and humanity which gives us the prospect of observing and
examining in and around.4

IMPACT ON AIR QUALITY

A number of researchers have extensively researched the effect of air pollution on the
Indian population and their wellbeing in the past. Urban air quality management strategies
based on pollution inventory, control techniques, network monitoring and public
engagement were planned. A general relation was also examined between the main air
contaminants, and the effect of industrialization, transportation and other anthropogenic
activities was analyzed. Several governmental and non-governmental organizations have
collected and evaluated information in this paper to understand the change in quality of
various environmental factors such as air and water quality due to lockdown caused by

4
Mahato S., Pal S., Ghosh K.G. Effect of lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic on air quality of the
megacity Delhi, India. Sci. Total Environ. 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139086. [PMC free article]
 6

Covid-19. In Indian background, different tools such as satellite images and the Air Quality
Index (AQI) were used to research the indirect impact of COVID-19. The findings of the
study will help policymakers identify the country's Post-Covid strategy, as the degree of
pollution that we have not been able to reduce over the past decade (even after
implementing all sorts of technical advances) has become a real thing because of the
lockdown. This research can also be used as a baseline analysis to assess the health effects
due to a reduction in air pollution (specifically on sensitive receptors).

IMPACT ON RIVER QUALITY

Articles and reports in dailies and other electronic media show improvements in the quality
of India's number of rivers like Ganga, Cauvery, Sutlej and Yamuna etc. The primary
trigger under this pandemic situation is the lack of industrial effluents entering the rivers
due to a lockdown situation. River Ganga's DO levels, as recorded, were higher than 8 ppm
and BOD levels lower than 3 ppm at Kanpur and Varanasi 5, ranging from 6.5 ppm to 4
ppm in 2019 respectively. Several other factors have also contributed to the enhancement
of river quality, such as high snowfall now melting with summer, decrease of irrigation
water demand, above average rainfall and even human-born factors like reduction of
religious and cultural activities such as puja, bathing, cremation on river banks.

Real-time water monitoring data provided by CPCB indicates that 27 out of 36 monitoring
units were found to be suitable for the propagation of wildlife and fishing and bathing at
different locations where the Ganga river flows. 6 CPCB also has three real-time monitoring
stations in Kanpur and displays data on water quality as recorded on 28 March 2020, i.e.
during the lockdown phase, via these monitoring stations. It is estimated that the total
effluent dumped in Ganga is about 6500–6700 MLD in routine days and out of which 700
MLD (about 10 per cent) come from industries. Thirty per cent of the overall BOD comes
from factories along the Holy River which is 130–150 tonnes per day. The organic charge

5
SANDRP. 2020. Ganga-Yamuna-Cauvery Flow Cleaner in Lockdown: what Can We Learn?” DRP News
Bulletin, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP)www.sandrp.in/2020/04/06/drp-nb-6-
april-2020-ganga-yamuna-cauvery-flow-cleaner-in-lockdown-what-can-we-learn/#more-34730
6
The Tribune. 2020. Lockdown Helps Improve Health of
Ganga.www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/lockdown-helps-improve-health-of-ganga-64936
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in the river can be reduced but the industrial contamination kills the water's self-cleaning
energy. Researchers assume that the self-cleaning property of the Ganga river improved,
which during this lockdown increased the water quality by 40–50 percent. Scientists have
reported that water quality at Haridwar Ghats, which is up to drinking standards, has
improved remarkably. The Ghats are also closed for people who have stopped taking holy
baths in the water or dumping flowers, and other waste. This has resulted in aquatic life
moving around making the clean waters of Ganga at Haridwar looking noticeably cleaner.
River Yamuna now appears cleaner, blue and pure after years in most parts of Delhi. The
toxic foam caused by a mixture of detergents, industrial chemicals and sewage has clearly
disappeared in Kalindi Kunj in southeast Delhi. According to the Karnataka State Pollution
Control Board, water quality in Cauvery and tributaries such as Kabini, Hemavati, Shimsha
and Lakshamanathirtha are also back to what it used to be in decades ago 7. During this
lockdown, the pollution discharge has dropped dramatically in Buddha nullah which
carries effluents from 2423 industrial units into Punjab's Sutlej River. 8

7
The Hindu . 2020. Cauvery, Tributaries Look Cleaner as Pandemic Keeps Pollution
Away.www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/cauvery-tributaries-in-old-mysuru-region-look-cleaner-
as-pandemic-keeps-pollution-away/article31210429.ece
8
Hindustan Times . 2020. Lockdown Effect Effluent Discharge in Ludhiana's Buddha Nullah
Drops.www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lockdown-effect-effluent-discharge-in-ludhiana-s-buddha-nullah-
drops/story-uUFPVk7yWWxBRW727eztwK.html
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3. FINDINGS

COVID-19 is the earth's chance to create a bright blue sky and cleanse the air. The sight of
the blue sky generated a sense of hope among the people for a safe and better future during
the lockdown time around the world. Before COVID-19, a high level of urban air pollution
is suffering worldwide especially in the form of CO2, SO2, NO2 and particulate matter.
Significant emissions sources such as transportation, factories, power plants are
responsible for the increased production of all these contaminants. Various organizations
worldwide have announced from years ago (2001 to 2019) such as clean air programs to
reduce the rate of particulate matter emissions. These projects have addressed the air
quality requirements, these are much stricter than the recommendations of the World
Health Organization (WHO), and further data was examined about the health effects of air
pollution.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REPORT

A WHO study reveals that approximately 8 percent of the world 's overall deaths are
attributed to air pollution9. Many respiratory disorders are also caused by air pollution,
such as asthma, heart attack, cognitive and mental illnesses. The only difference is that
such diseases may not be as lethal as COVID-19 instantly, and may not be spread from
person to person. Before COVID-19, CO2 emissions were increased by 1 percent per year
over the previous decade. The positive impact of the lockdown is to minimize CO2
emissions by −17 percent (−11 to −25 percent) by 7 April 2020 relative to the mean
emission level in 2019. An Air Quality Index (AQI) is an air quality measure. The cleaner
the air is the lower the AQI value. The standard air quality index range is (100−200), and
is currently in the satisfactory range (50–100) as stated by The System of Air Quality and
Wheather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) scientist Gurfam. One study 10 found that

9
“Ambient Air Quality.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 17 Nov. 2017,
www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/en/.
10
Zambrano-Monserrate M.A., Ruano M.A., Sanchez-Alcaldec L. Indirect effect of COVID 19 on the
environment, indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728:138813. [PMC
free article] [PubMed]
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after three weeks of the 24 March 2020 lockdown, emissions in Delhi, India, had
substantially reduced the various air pollution causing materials.

GLOBAL LOCKDOWN

The manufacturing operations were shut down globally as countries went into lockdown.
Transport is the hardest hit industry, due to lockdowns, among several other industries.
Road and air transport have come to a halt because people are not allowed to fly or refuse
to. According to the study, due to COVID-19, the lowest in 75 years, air travel fell by 96
per cent.11 In addition, the pandemic is seriously affecting not only the transport sector but
also the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Global demand for oil decreased rapidly, and
prices fell significantly as manufacturing and transportation sectors stopped worldwide.
COVID-19 has a significant negative effect on human health and the global economy but
it also leads to a decrease in emissions due to restricted social and economic activities.
COVID-19 lockdown decreased transportation activities resulting in lower energy usage
and lower oil demand. These shifts in transport activities and oil demand have a major
effect on the quality of the environment. Fresh data has been released by NASA (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) showing that
environmental quality has improved and NO2 emissions have been reduced by up to 30%.
NASA collects the data on its AURA satellite using OMI (Ozone Tracking Instruments).
While the ESA collects the data using TROPOMI (Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument)
through the Sentinel-5P satellite. NASA and ESA release satellite images before and after
lockdown of different countries.12

Reductions in air emissions of Sulphur Dioxide & Nitrogen Dioxide across South Asia
associated with efforts to regulate COVID-19 spread. Aura's OMI data on South Asia show
the means of the time in previous years, though compared to the means for 2020, it shows

11
CNN 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/09/politics/airline-passengers-decline/index.html
12
Muhammad S., Long X., Salman M. COVID-19 pandemic and environmental pollution: a blessing in
disguise? Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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a significant change after the nationwide stay-at - home order for India's 1.3 billion people
across South Asia for an average of 25 March to 25 April. 13

Over Eastern India, the highest SO2 levels are mainly correlated with electricity
generation; sulphur impurities are found in the coal burned. Independent estimates show
that, compared to March and April 2019, electricity production for India dropped by around
10 per cent and 25 per cent respectively in March and April 2020. One exception is in
southern India that could be attributed to the increased generation of thermal power that
came online before the order for stay-at-home. However, there was no comparable rise in
NO2, so coal with higher Sulphur content could have been used in 2020 compared to 2019
without a major increase in the consumed gas. NO2 is generated mainly from fossil fuel
use. The highest levels of NO2 are in eastern India and are mainly correlated with
producing electricity14. NASA's Air Quality Community frequently generates photographs
of data obtained on the Aura satellite from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument showing how
one air pollutant, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), improves. As a reaction to changing constraints
during the COVID-19 pandemic, improvements are motivated by shifts in human behavior.
In addition, the group creates pictures of other air pollutants such as Sulphur dioxide (SO2).
In India, the first case of COVID-19 recorded in the state of Kerala is in late January 2020,
and the state is locked down with the other states on 25 March 2020 when Prime Minister
Modi ordered a nationwide residence-at-home order for the 1.3 billion Indian people in an
effort to slow COVID-19 spread. As a result, fewer fossil fuels are consumed and less air
pollution (e.g., nitrogen dioxide, NO2) occurs in India and neighboring countries, including
Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 15

13
NASA Satellite Data Show 30 Percent Drop In Air Pollution Over Northeast U.S NASA air quality
analysis. 2020. https://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/
14
Aura Reductions in sulfur dioxide & nitrogen dioxide air pollution over South Asia associated with efforts
to control the spread of COVID-19. 2020. https://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/feature-20200501.html
15
NASA Satellite Data Show 30 Percent Drop In Air Pollution Over Northeast U.S NASA air quality
analysis. 2020. https://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/
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4. LIMITATIONS

The lockdown to control COVID-19 spread has and will have a huge effect on other
policies and results in healthcare. Given India's high prevalence of multiple, untreated
morbidity, it would adversely affect a large number of citizens. Indeed, most of the total
deaths caused by COVID-19 were recorded in patients with co-morbidity. Ignoring other
health facilities further exacerbates the chances of a significant portion of the population
whose immunity is weakened by current Covid-19-infected ailments.

IMPACT IN THE RURAL AREAS

The closure of private healthcare facilities, especially in the smaller towns and cities that
take care of a substantial proportion of the overall healthcare burden, would have
significant consequences for those with chronic diseases and those in need of emergency
treatment. About 6.9 million people seek outpatient services on a regular basis at national
level, including government hospitals, private hospitals, private physicians / clinics, and
other healthcare facilities (charities and NGOs) treating 30%, 23%, 43%, and 4% of cases,
respectively.16 Private healthcare providers thus meet 66 per cent of everyday healthcare
needs. Furthermore, the shutdown has hit the poor and lower middle-income groups hard,
who don't have their own cars to access shutdown panic hospitals, and crisis is definitely
going to affect outcomes for pregnant women. For example, frontline health workers'
restricted mobility and stigmatization threaten the nutritional needs of pregnant women and
new mothers and their infants. Every day there are as many as 49,481 births, of which
private hospitals conduct 55 per cent of the caesarean and complicated deliveries.

The lockdown can also cause abnormalities in accessing Antenatal Care Services (ANCs),
which are potentially at risk of causing problems in health and consequent maternal and
child mortality. The lack of access to healthcare facilities, even in normal times, causes
about 3,600 pregnancy-related deaths of women a month and 2,800 deaths of children
under the age of five a day. Child immunization postponement may adversely affect child

16
Goli, Srinivas. “Coronavirus: The Lockdown and Its Consequences.” Deccan Herald, DH News Service,
2 Apr. 2020, www.deccanherald.com/opinion/coronavirus-the-lockdown-and-its-consequences-
820261.html.
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health outcomes. While these vital services are available, their access is hindered by the
non-availability of transport facilities and fear of infections. Failure to reach pharmacies
would also affect menstrual hygiene habits.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Globally, China is the second-largest pharmaceutical exporting firm. The closure of drug-
manufacturing plants in China has disrupted supply of generic medicines to Indian
factories. In addition, the lack of access to medication and routine health services among
patients with non-communicable and chronic diseases contributes to serious healthcare
problems that may be more devastating than COVID-19 in the days ahead.

The asymptomatic nature of the disease and loneliness not only raises fear and anxiety
among the youth and the older population, but it also makes children its invisible victims.
Social disconnectedness drives mental health concerns among the elderly, while youth suer
from fear of an uncertain future, school year, and work losses. There have already been
records in India of several cases of mental health emergencies due to COVID-19 phobia. 17

Global evidence indicates a strong demand for contraception and abortion services existed
during the 2015-16 epidemic of Zika virus. Restricted availability and accessibility of
contraceptives impact large numbers of unintended pregnancies, abortion and sexual and
reproductive tract infections in India, especially given that current supplies, as well as
development, have been stalled in many countries as a result of lockdowns. Previous
reports of a pandemic have also shown an increase in family rates of intimate partner abuse,
divorce and separation.

Therefore, despite the COVID-19 freeze, it is important that the Center and states track all
healthcare needs of the community through public and private partnerships. The
government must use the resources of the private sector, which hold 62 per cent of hospital
beds in the country, rather than shut them down.18 The government needs to subsidize other

17
“Lockdown Effect: Latest News & Videos, Photos about Lockdown Effect.” The Economic Times,
economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/lockdown-effect.
18
Foundation, Thomson Reuters. Coronavirus and Its Impact on People, Cities and Economy.
news.trust.org/packages/coronavirus-and-its-impact-on-people/.
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healthcare facilities in hospitals and clinics in the private sector to ensure that they are
accessible to people at reasonable rates while resolving the bleak situation resulting from
the coronavirus pandemic.

EIA DRAFT 2020

The Union Government's proposed new draught Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
2020 is a regressive deviation from the 2006 edition it is trying to replace. It is an effort to
weaken the environmental protection and to suppress societies that have been affected.

The draught seems to benefit the companies, and the balance between sustainable growth
and environmental conservation seems to be largely ignored. On the contrary, the Union
Government claims that the new draught would improve transparency and speed up the
process.

What is Environment Impact Assessment?

Environmental impact assessment is a mechanism under the 1986 Environment

(Protection) Act that prevents the approval without adequate supervision of industrial and
infrastructural projects. This procedure ensures that any project to receive prior
environmental clearance should go through the EIA process.

EIA includes projects, such as coal mining or other minerals, construction of roads,
thermal, nuclear and hydropower projects, real estate and other industrial ventures. The
projects are measured on the basis of their possible environmental impacts. They are given
or refused environmental clearance by a panel of experts based on the evaluations.

Drawbacks of EIA 2020

The latest 2020 EIA draught provides for post-facto approval. This means that even though
a proposal has been produced without environmental protections or environmental
clearances, it will be allowed to function under the new EIA 2020 draught. This is
catastrophic as we already have a range of projects that operate without EIA clearances.
One example is the LG Polymer Plant in Vishakhapatnam, where the leak of styrene gas
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occurred on May 7. It was discovered that the plant worked without clearances for over
two decades.19

A similar incident was recorded on May 27, in which Oil India Limited's natural gas in
eastern Assam's Tinsukia district had a blowout and caught fire due to poor adherence to
environmental standards. This caused significant damage to livelihoods in the biodiversity-
rich region. The State Pollution Board, Assam, announced that the oil plant had been
functioning for more than 15 years without having the board's prior consent.

There are also two important aspects the current draught aims to take control away from
communities. Secondly, it reduces the space available for public engagement and thereby
abandons public confidence.

Public engagement has been important in the EIA process and has helped communities
greatly not only to get knowledge about the projects being planned in their regions, but
also to talk about their concerns about the projects. 20

In the current proposal, there is a list of the selected projects that were planned to be
removed from public participation. Modernization or irrigation projects, all building and
area growth programs, national highways extension or extension, all national defense and
security programs are included in the list.

To speed up the process, the time available for public hearings has been cut. The novel
pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has limited the campaign and social
gatherings.

All of these factors have made it difficult for rural and tribal communities to engage and
share their concerns. Very frequently they are directly influenced by such programs.

19
“Why Draft EIA 2020 Needs a Revaluation.” Down To Earth,
www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/environment/why-draft-eia-2020-needs-a-revaluation-72148.
20
Ananthakrishnan, G. “The Hindu Explains: What Are the Key Changes in the Environment Impact
Assessment Notification 2020?” The Hindu, The Hindu, 2 Aug. 2020, www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-
and-environment/the-hindu-explains-what-are-the-key-changes-in-the-environment-impact-assessment-
notification-2020/article32249807.ece.
 15

The second way this plan seeks to curb citizens ' rights is by approving projects that have
already caused much damage and have been running without EIA approval.

By allowing such projects to return and take environmental approvals as part of the EIA
process, the government effectively approve illegal projects. The new draught is a
reiteration of a notice from March 2017 for projects that run without approval.

In short, the new EIA 2020 draught is an anti-environmental and anti-people act. Experts
claim that regularizing large-scale abuses of the environment is a trick.

The way forward

We need even stricter legislation to protect the environment and to ensure that the poorest
who need them most are given natural resources. There are a large number of people, such
as Adivasis, fishermen, and coastal and fisheries people, whose lives depend mainly on the
condition of the climate. Any dramatic changes in EIA would have a direct effect on these
people's living and working conditions and on the ecosystem.

If the government does not acknowledge the urgent need for environmental and human-
friendly laws to be established, we must call on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Environment and Forests to take up the challenge. 21

We don't need more disasters that are man-made. The new 2020 EIA draught needs to be
challenged to retain the central requirement of performing an environmental impact
assessment prior to project operation, as well as to disallow any project without a proper
EIA.

21
“Why Draft EIA 2020 Needs a Revaluation.” Down To Earth,
www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/environment/why-draft-eia-2020-needs-a-revaluation-72148.
 16

5. CONCLUSION

This study evaluates the impact of lockdown on the global climate, including different
forms of pollutants, on ozone layer, water, industrial pollution and noise. It also considers
the effect of COVID-19 on wildlife. Overall this study guides the Indian and cross-country
investigation for a deeper insight into COVID-19 and how the ongoing lockdown effects
the different environmental parameters during COVID-19. So we should assume that if we
do climate degradation then the mother-nature wants to bounce back, we can also recognize
that the environment in the world will expect this.

The lockdown tends to show a marked improvement in air quality over these large densely
populated Indian metropolitan footprints where US embassies are located, but the lives of
hundreds of millions of Indians have been disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
lockdowns. Our results show a marked decline in air pollutants particularly in Delhi and
Kolkata during the lockdown; These two cities are commonly regarded as highly polluted
cities in India and around the world. The findings will draw the Indian Government's
attention to consider how vehicle and industrial emissions can be strictly reduced to boost
air quality that will help maintain better public health in India. 22

The disease remains uncontrolled, and the virus has no proven cure. Locking in homes and
social differences is the only protective measure the country as a whole is taking. But as
the human activities in most areas are limited, the country's natural environment has begun
to heal itself. Factories, housing, aircraft and aviation are all at a standstill. Carbon
emissions have been cut, and an unparalleled increase has been made in air quality. It is
impressive to see a reduction of 85.1 percent in concentration of PM2.5 in one of the most
contaminated cities in India (Ghaziabad), compared to the concentration only three months
earlier. The other lime parameters PM10, NO2, and CO have substantially decreased as a
result of minimal human activities and mechanical movements. Indian atmosphere satellite
images also show the same trend towards air pollution reduction following COVID-19
outbreak. After this lockout, the Air Quality Index ( AQI) in all of India's states are now in

22
Arora, Shefali, et al. “Coronavirus Lockdown Helped the Environment to Bounce Back.” The Science of
the Total Environment, Elsevier B.V., 29 June 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7323667/.
 17

two figures (indicating relatively good air quality). Not just air but India's rivers such as
Ganga, Yamuna, and Cauvery etc. have become clean and transparent, and marine life is
visible. After reviewing numerous reports as described above, it can be summarized that
COVID-19 has undoubtedly brought a terrifying destructive scourge to humanity, but it
has emerged as a blessing to the natural world , providing it with a "recovery period." We
have also discovered that the human-induced environmental destruction is not entirely
irreversible. Everybody is seeing "recovery of nature" in a span of only 1–2 months. It's a
signal to understand and to respond.23 Government and policy makers should take measures
necessary to prevent this healing process from being a transient occurrence. During the
lockout time the study focuses on improvements in air quality. Strict study on the impact
of introducing such short-term lockdown as an alternative measure for pollution reduction
and its impact on economy is required. This research can also be used as a reference
document for post-covid status analysis as well as for evaluating the impact of reduced
emissions on sensitive receptor health results. Currently while the whole globe is struggling
to frame acceptable strategies to battle Covid-19, the early lockdown introduced has shown
an absolute way to restore ecosystem and climate.

23
BP. Chandra, V. Sinha, et al. “Impact of Lockdown on Air Quality in India during COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, Springer Netherlands, 1 Jan. 1970,
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-020-00863-1.