The strict nationwide lockdown imposed in India to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 had an unexpected and dramatic side effect: a significant and sudden improvement in air quality across the nation, which is home to many of the world’s most polluted cities.
As India’s 1.3 billion people were ordered to stay home, the economic engine ground to a halt. Streets emptied of traffic, construction sites fell silent, and factories shuttered. The result was a drastic reduction in the primary sources of urban air pollution.
Cities notorious for hazardous smog, such as New Delhi, experienced a stunning transformation. Residents reported seeing blue skies and breathing clean air, a rarity for the megacity.
The data backed up these anecdotal observations:
- Drastic Pollutant Reduction: Levels of key pollutants, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), plummeted. In Delhi, PM2.5 levels, which are linked to severe respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, fell from the “unhealthy” category to “moderate” or “good” within just the first week of the lockdown.
- Significant Drops: Studies from the period reported that PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the capital dropped by over 50%. Similar improvements were seen in other major cities like Mumbai, Jaipur, and Kolkata.
- Satellite Evidence: Satellite data from agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency confirmed a dramatic reduction in NO2 concentrations over the country. NO2 is a pollutant primarily released from burning fossil fuels in vehicles and power plants. The satellite maps showed India’s pollution “hotspots” fading away.
This “unnatural experiment” provided a clear and undeniable link between India’s economic activity and its severe air pollution. The halt in emissions from transportation, fossil-fuel-powered industries, and energy generation was the direct cause of the cleaner air.
While the lockdown was a temporary and economically challenging measure, the resulting blue skies served as a powerful illustration of the environmental impact of human activity. It sparked a widespread conversation about the sources of India’s pollution and the urgent need for long-term, sustainable policies to ensure clean air for its citizens.
This video from ABC News provides a visual report on the drastic decrease in air pollution that occurred in India during the COVID-19 lockdown.
India’s COVID-19 lockdown pollution decrease
