A Much-needed Break for Nature: As Humans Have Slowed Down

It was 7 a.m. on day 20 of the nationwide lockdown and Siddharth Edake was enjoying a hot cup of tea on the balcony of his 8th floor apartment in Gurugram. On usual days, his view would comprise rows and rows of high-rise buildings that fade away into an increasingly graying horizon. But, what did he see instead that day? Read more to find out…

- Siddharth Edake

Today, I can see the forests of the Aravalli Biodiversity Park at the far end, under a light blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The air is crisp and clear, and close to around 20 yellow-footed green pigeons locally known as hariyal, a rare sighting for Gurugram, are feasting on the fruits of the shehtut (Mulberry) tree in front of me. The sound of traffic is replaced by the chirping of birds and the tinkling of wind chimes as they sway in the light breeze. For a nature lover and environmentalist, this is as good as it gets in a metropolitan city in India.

I can’t help but think, while the world is going through a humanitarian crisis and the worst economic slowdown since the World War II, nature is getting the much-needed break it deserved! As hundreds of countries impose various degrees of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial and human activity is at its lowest in more than a century, and nature is taking full advantage! Many global cities are reporting improved Air Quality Index for several days in a row, and experiencing cooler weathers due to reduced carbon emissions that would otherwise raise temperatures. Some news channels even reported that the ozone layer is slowly repairing, and the rate of melting of the Arctic ice has reduced for the first time in the last 50 years.