Seminar

on 
“IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON ENVIRONMENT”

Submitted by

 MAYUR ASHOK PACHARE

 
Guide  

Prof. S. V. DHARPAL SIR  

Submitted to Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
in
CIVIL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

PROF. RAM MEGHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH, BADNERA, AMRAVATI-444701 11/3/22
OCTOBER 2020
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CONTENTS :
 Introduction

 Positive Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Air Quality

 Positive Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Water Quality

 Negative Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Environment

 Conclusions

 References
11/3/22
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Introduction :
What is CoVID-19 ?

 CoVID-19 is the name of disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 ( Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 ) .

 CoVID-19 is an acronym for COronaVIrus Disease of 2019.

 It is the name given by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 11, 2020.

 It started in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and has since spread worldwide.

 First case of CoVID-19 in India, was reported on January 30, 2020

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 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality

 Due to the coronavirus outbreak most of the countries had imposed

LOCKDOWN in MARCH, APRIL & some consecutive months.

 The travel and industrial activities were halted and the planet
experienced a drop in air pollution.

 The Air quality levels in the world’s major cities improved

dramatically in after the pandemic.

 Air quality improved largely because of a reduction in industrial and

road traffic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and particulate matter (PM).
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FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING AIR

POLLUTION DURING PANDEMIC
1.Decrease in Travel

The entire population was ordered to stay home. The

schools, offices and factories limited their activities.
The road traffic as well as air traffic was reduced to a
minimum.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the
global average road transport activity was reduced to 50%
by the end of March-2020 as compared to March-2019.
Almost every country has seen a huge drop in road use.
This resulted in a massive fall in the use of oil.
The Aviation industry contributes 6 - 7 % to total air
pollution. Globally, the demand for jet fuel was down by
65% in April as the airlines reduced scheduled flights by
60% to 95%.
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2. Less Industrial Activities

 Industries started shutting down in response to the

lockdown orders issued by the Governments.
 As a result the demand for energy globally has fallen
drastically.
 The International Energy Agency (IEA) said that the world
will use 6% less energy in the year 2020.
 The oil industry has ground to a halt as demand has
slumped.
 Drop in industrial activities led into reduction of CO2
level.

Source: IEA 
Global Energy Review 2020
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INDI
A
 Coal-fired power generation was down 15% in
March and 31% in the first three weeks of April,
according to daily data from the Indian National
Grid.

 Oil consumption was down 18% in March and

45.8% in April.

 According to analysis by an environmental

website, Carbon Brief. study finds that Indian
carbon dioxide emissions fell 15% in March, and
are likely to have fallen by 30% in April.
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Aerosol Levels In India

 Aerosols are tiny solid and liquid particles suspended

in the air that reduce visibility and can damage the
human lungs and heart.
 Some aerosols have natural sources, such as dust
storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.
 Others come from human activities, such as the
burning of fossil fuels and croplands.
 Human-made aerosols tend to contribute the most.
 These maps shows the variation in average aerosol
amounts in India till July 2020.

Image source: NASA

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Source: ESA Source: ESA

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Delhi
 The spread of novel coronavirus drastically cuts
pollution in the world’s most polluted capital.

 According to the System of Air Quality and Weather

Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the measures
against COVID-19 helped to a drop in PM2.5 (fine
particulate pollutant) by 30% in Delhi.

 The Nitrogen-dioxide level has come down

drastically with a nearly 40% reduction.
Visible Effects 11

CNN @PARASRISH @rameshpandeyifs

I
Jalandhar, Punjab Pathankot, Punjab Saharanpur, UP

First time in decades, 160+ KMs away Himalayan mountain

ranges were visible
from many north Indian states due to reduced pollution level.

@activistritu

Singhwahini Village, Bihar

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Visible Effects
October 17, 2019 July 4, 2019 February 28, 2020

March 21, 2020

April 13, 2020 April 16, 2020

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters) (Image: GMA News)

New Delhi, India Jakarta, Indonesia Manila, Philippines

 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Water Quality
13

During the lockdown period, the major industrial sources of pollution that affect aquatic ecosystems,
such as industrial wastewater, crude oil, heavy metals, and plastics have shrunk or completely stopped.
This helped in improving water quality with the increase in dissolved oxygen (DO) and reduced nitrate
concentration.
Therefore, the level of pollution has been reduced to some extent in water bodies.

March 21, April 8,

2019 2020

The quality of water in the Yamuna has improved along the Delhi stretch during the nationwide lockdown, compared to
April last year, according to a report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
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The Ganges (Ganga River)

 The Ganges is one India's holiest and also most-polluted
river.
 The river has seen a significant improvement in water Pollution levels in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
quality during the coronavirus lockdown. ( Ganga River )
Parameters Pre-Lockdown Lockdown
 Professor at Chemical Engineering and Technology at
IIT-BHU, Varanasi, said there has been a 40-50% Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
8.3 10
improvement in the quality of water. Mg/L

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

3.8 2.8
 The main reasons are the industries discharging pollutants (BOD)
Mg/L
into the Ganga shut and Ghats closed.
Fecal coliform count (FCC)
Mg/L
2,200 1,400
 The water has ranked in Class A for the first time in
recent history. Data source: UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), TOI

 Class A water has pH balance between 6.5 to 8.5. and is

fit to drink after disinfection.
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 Negative impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Environment

 Not all the environmental consequences of the crisis have been positive.
 Increase in volume of unrecyclable waste.
 Cuts in export levels have led to the generation of large quantities of organic waste.
 Maintenance and monitoring of natural ecosystems have been temporarily halted.
 Natural ecosystems at risk of illegal harvesting and encroachment.
 Rise of illegal deforestation, fishing and wildlife hunting.
 Local waste problems have emerged as many municipalities have suspended their
recycling activities over fear of virus spread.
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Conclusion

 Boon for environment.

 Blessing in disguise.

 The reduced pollution levels is a silver-lining amidst COVID-19 crisis.

 The repeated outbreak of pandemics like SARS, MERS, Ebola is a result of climate change,
desertification, loss of biodiversity, and illegal trading of wildlife.
 References
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BBC: Will Covid-19 have a lasting impact on the environment?

BBC: Climate change and coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash

Wikipedia: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment

IEA: Global Energy Review 2020- The impacts of the Covid-19 crisis on global energy demand and CO2 emissions

Forbes: Ten Areas Where COVID-19 Responses Have Increased Environmental Risks

United Nations: Environmental impacts of coronavirus crisis, challenges ahead

ScienceDirect: Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment

Venngage: The Coronavirus Pandemic’s Impact on the Environment [Infographic by Bronwyn Kienapple ]

GreenBiz: How coronavirus will affect 4 key environmental issues

esa: Air Pollution Drops In India Following Lockdown

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