As we all are staying indoors as a preventive measure to keep away from coronavirus, nature is also healing itself. This period of lockdown might have gotten many of us worried and stressed, but there is always a brighter side to things. And, in the current situation of lockdown, it is the beauty of nature that is resurfacing.
Within a few days of the lockdown, it hit the news that the Air Quality Index across the country has improved drastically. This, of course, is one of the positive outcomes of people staying home.
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Gangotri hills visible from Saharanpur- Thanks to the lowered pollution during the lockdown
The most recent instance that made it to the news and took people by surprise is the snow-covered Gangotri hills seen by people living in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Isn’t it actually amazing? Ramesh Pandey and Praveen Kaswan, IFS (Indian Forest Services) Officers shared the captivating pictures of the icy hills of Gangotri visible from their houses.
It is undoubted that the lockdown and the frequent downpours have contributed wonderfully to the cleansing of nature. Saharanpur is a hub of agriculture-based industry and industrial products along with a high population density. These factors had been a concern in terms of the poor air quality index of Saharanpur before the lockdown. But, no vehicles emitting pollution into the air, shutting down of factories and sugar mills as an effect of lockdown has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Before the lockdown, the Air Quality Index in the region used to be in the “Very Poor” category. It was recorded to be as bad as 300. But with the lockdown in place and because of the intermittent rains, this AQI has now dropped below 50.
The Air Quality Index below 50 in Saharanpur has made this scenic view possible for the first time in 30 years. The fact that these Gangotri hills are about 150-200 km away from Saharanpur and people have never witnessed them like this ever before speaks volumes of the healing of nature. This is not the only amazing incident that made people wonderstruck. Keep reading further and you will be amazed.
People of Jalandhar witnessed Dhauladhar mountain ranges of Himachal- Another positive effect of lockdown on the environment
At the beginning of April, people of Jalandhar were also flabbergasted when they could see Dhauladhar mountain ranges of Himachal Pradesh from their houses.
The majestic mountains located near Dharamshala are at a distance of about 160 km from Jalandhar. This captivating scene was as a result of the low pollution levels in the city due to the lockdown.
The people in the city were spellbound and they also pointed out that the air quality has improved remarkably since the lockdown has been imposed. And the blessings did not end here, the elderly in the city also reported that owing to the lower levels of pollution and cleaner air, some birds, especially the sparrows, which were till now missing, have returned to the city.
Can we consider this lockdown as an opportunity for humanity to reflect upon ‘nature’? And by nature here, we mean human nature and the natural physical world around us.
This ongoing period might make us humans realize that this is our chance to get closer to nature and appreciate its beauty. Although it is sad but true that it is us, humans, only are harming nature, while all it does is just nurture and amaze us with all its wonders.
The question that arises now is that when all of this is over and we are free to go back to our normal lives, will there be any change in our definition of ‘normal’? Will we continue to exploit nature for our own needs as we have been for decades? Or will we understand our responsibility towards nature and start being more considerate towards it?
This lockdown can indeed be a golden opportunity for us to reflect upon how we have been treating nature to chase our own needs and greed. This is the time to learn that when the lockdown gets over, and the hustle of our lives begin, we should not neglect our environment. Let’s be more aware and responsible towards our environment.
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