Corona Virus and Nature

"Blessing in disguise", this will be the right phrase for the situation today, as we have been seeing how this small but gigantic virus has grappled the world, on the other hand, nature is thriving.

    I would like to share my experience with you, as of late February and in early March, I started feeling the weather somewhat warm as usual in Delhi. After the imposition of the lockdown, the late march became paradoxically pleasanter than early march, also it rained 2 or 3 times prompted me to use blanket once again.

    The sky looked quite clear as though I got my eyesight better, the lockdown made all this possible. Here is the onset of April, the entire April remained as pleasant as the spring was. One day I went outside to look some nearby roads and bridges, I found places of street vendors were full of greenery and blossoming of flowers. I found the same road full of dirt and dust was clean and green. The weather of May remained presumably warmer than that of April, but again 2 or 3 times of rain made it fairly soothing and pleasant, where the average temperature remained less than 35-degree celsius.

     Now in June when the sun is on its peak (yet no idea about the peak of COVID cases in India), subtle rain making this month humid and sultry but the upcoming July and August are appeared to be more monsoonised as compared to previous years and bit colder.

    

    So what caused this unprecedented experience of mine in Delhi? And the straight answer is the lockdown, prompted by the novel coronavirus. As of now, the entire world is experiencing either full or partial lockdown. All major industries and works are on halt. It has been seen around 95% of reduction in vehicular movement on urban roads, that led the reduction of carbon emission to a great extent, eventually reduced air pollution in cities like Delhi, Kanpur etc. Also, fewer pollutants in the air helped trigger rain many a time in summer.

    This small but gigantic virus not only reduced air pollution but also reduced water pollution. Majority of industries are located nearby the banks of rivers, along with goods, they produce toxic effluents which are released into the river. We all must have seen those visuals of Yamuna river near to Noida in which some ladies worshipping Chhath along with foam and froth. In lockdown 90% of these industries are un-operationalised, no realese of toxic effluents, making Yamuna and Ganga cleaner.

     

    No doubt this greenery and fresh air is the blessing of coronavirus but for the very expensive price, a large number of people are dying. I hope this pandemic ends soon and we should all work together for the betterment of tomorrow in a more ecological way.

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