Mother Earth Takes A Breath - The Environmental Impacts Of Covid-19

The spread of Covid-19 has brought the world to a halt. Almost every nation is practising a countrywide lockdown. With a gigantic number of lives being lost, stock markets crashing, global sporting events being cancelled and cases of racism surfacing continually, there is nothing much left to celebrate for. But it is imperative to stay optimistic and look on the bright side in these tough times, or any other times for that matter. A reason of rejoice can be found in the way mother nature has been recuperating. This can prove to be a good topic of discussion both in the upcoming GDs and PIs.

A fall in the levels of air pollution is both expected and welcomed. With the lockdowns in effect, China witnessed a drop in its carbon dioxide emissions by 25%. The figure was 28% for NYC. Satellite images from space agencies like NASA and ESA corroborate this. Even the most polluted cities of not only India, but the world, namely Delhi and Ghaziabad saw their Air Quality Index (AQI) plummet to 72 and 68 respectively (at the time of this article being written). The untimely rains over North India also deserve some credit. According to the estimates of WHO, air pollution kills more than 7 million people, out of which more than a million are from India. This number will hopefully fall now.

The gruby waters of Venice and Rome are now cleaner than any person living can remember. The canals are now graced with amazing species of fish and other aquatic animals, thanks to the reduction in human interference. Mumbai rejoiced recently when its shores were honoured by the presence of the Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins, which were seen after a long span of time. The Juhu beach, although deserted now, looks more immaculate than ever. The Nepal Government has shutdown mountain expeditions for the Everest. The mountain has now become a dumping yard, with the accumulation more than thousands of pounds of garbage. These restrictions are bound to give the beauty ample time to recuperate. Peacocks were spotted on the streets of Noida, sparrows can be seen again in some parts of Punjab, and the Nilgai can be seen roaming nonchalantly on the roads of Delhi-NCR. This is a moment of huge relief for a big section of India's flora and fauna, which is witnessing an unprecedented independence from human mutilation.

Undoubtedly, this is a temporary effect. But we can make this ever-lasting, if we choose to do so. Nature has shown us that it can be immensely merciless, but also that a few number of days are more than enough for it to get back to its former glory. But once we bounce back from this catastrophe, humans will go back to being the mindless entities that they have been till now, exploiting the planet for their own materialistic purposes. Only if we realise that humans are meant to co-exist with nature, and not overpower it, we can avoid further calamities and ensure our existence.