IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON ENVIRONMENT

May 22, 2021 By Ranit Mukherjee BA.LLB , 4th Year, George School of Law

Introduction:

Man for his own destructive work, calls danger in life for many years. And many times this catastrophe is so severe that it threatens the existence of humankind. Covid19 is one such man-made disaster that has devastated the world and introduced lockdown. However, for this, the environment has regained some of its old forms. So in short, it can be said that the lockdown helps to rebuild the beauty of Mother Nature and restore the purity of her.

Reason for implement of Lockdown:

After SARS in 2003 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus which had created the pandemic situation in the last two decades; Covid19 is the third novel virus that has created a pandemic condition in all the World. On December 31, 2019, the first case was reported in Wuhan, China. After that, with the rapid growing speed, it spread all over Wuhan within the middle of January 2020 and other places nearby. On January 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) found this virus is the reason for infection in Wuhan and on 11th February 2020 it was declared that it is one of the most infectious diseases. Later on 11th March 2020, with the report of spreading this virus all over the World, it was declared as a pandemic by the Director-General of WHO. The only way to control the rapid growth of this virus was social distancing and for that reason from March end to April middle, lockdown had been implemented by most of the countries in the World. And from here it can be said that the process of healing and cure of nature was started.

Condition of Nature before Lockdown:

During the past two to three decades, the world has witnessed expeditious industrial growth that helps to improve people’s living standard and amusement. But, for this, we have paid a huge cost in terms of poisoning the water sources, air, soil all. As per the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) every year more than 7 million people die from consuming the polluted air by breath. In the State of India’s Environment (SoE) report, in 2019 almost 12.5% of deaths reported in India happened due to polluted air activities like industrial projects, emission of carbon via vehicle movement, construction projects etc. For these effects, the average temperature of our World increases day by day and with its effects melting of snow increases which create tsunamis, heavy rainfall like devastating situations. The recklessness of the human mentality for nature creates a killer of them by harming nature by their works. These kinds of activities also create the pandemic such as COVID19.

Condition of Nature after Lockdown:

Covid-19 has completely changed the way of living and working by putting various kinds of health and safety restrictions into our societal life. It keeps more of us at home more often. And, as a result, we get the chance to introduce ourselves with the lockdown. And, it directly impacts the change in the health of nature. The reduction of human interference in the environment is a complete success in giving time to nature for healing. With the implementation of lockdown all over the world, the construction works, industrial works, movement of vehicles that produce aerosols were stopped. And, so we can see less carbon emission this time than the previous time which makes a major impact on our nature in the betterment of the air quality. In India, the metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ghaziabad where the sky was covered with smog during a large period of a year, but due to lockdown the purity of air quality level increased and the sky looks clearer than the previous time. In a study, it was observed that the air quality of the four selected stone crushing clusters at Dwarka River Basin of Eastern India noticed the reduction of PM10 concentration from 189-278μg/m3 to 50-60μg/m3 after 18 days of commencement lockdown. Due to lockdown industrial effluents were stopped with the other man-made pollution that increased water pollution. And, so the water quality increased. One more thing that was observed all over the world during the lockdown period is the rate of snow melting from glaciers decreased. With the changes in the deforestation rate, air pollution is diminishing, the average temperature of the earth again rebutted and snow is becoming more reflective in some areas. In some parts of the ‘lungs of the world,’ Amazon Rain forest such as Columbia, Peru etc, deforestation appears to have slowed somewhat since the onset of the pandemic. And, all of these are the main components that help nature to re-build.

Conclusion:

During this lockdown industrial sectors, transport sectors all had stopped. And, for the restriction of human activities, the process of restoration of nature has started. So, in a sentence, it can be said that though the pandemic came as a curse of human beings, and through lockdown, it cures the health of nature.