FIRST COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IMPROVED AIR QUALITY IN INDIA: FINDS STUDY

NEW DELHI: The first lockdown imposed in India last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in land surface temperature in major urban areas of the country, according to a study.

The findings, published in the journal Environmental Research, provide a strong evidence for potential environmental benefits through larger scale policy implementation.

The study found that travel and work restrictions imposed early in the pandemic resulted in a significant environmental improvement, due to an abrupt reduction in industrial activities and a major decrease in the use of land and air transport.

The researchers used data from a range of Earth observation sensors, including those from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5p and NASA’S MODIS sensors, to measure changes in surface temperature and atmospheric pollutants and aerosols.

They concentrated on six major urban areas: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, comparing data from the lockdown in March to May last year with prepandemic years.

The study revealed a significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a greenhouse gas emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels, equivalent to an average decrease of 12 per cent throughout India, and 31.5 per cent over the six cities.

There was a 40 per cent reduction over the national capital, the researchers said.

In India alone, about 16,000 premature deaths occur annually due to exposure to poor air quality, they said.

The study also found land surface temperature over major cities in India substantially declined in contrast with the previous five-year average (20152019) with day temperatures being up to 1 degree Celsius cooler, and those at night up to 2 degrees Celsius cooler.d

THE RESEARCHERS CONCENTRATED ON SIX MAJOR URBAN AREAS: DELHI, MUMBAI, KOLKATA, CHENNAI, BANGALORE, AND HYDERABAD, COMPARING DATA FROM MARCH TO MAY LAST YEAR