Hundreds of millions of Indians are breathing cleaner air courtesy of an nationwide three-week coronavirus lockdown that has curbed pollution levels “significantly” in one of the most polluted countries on earth.
India has been grappling with a chronic rise in pollution levels over the last decade. New Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, is often referred to as a “gas chamber” for its toxic air quality.
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 24 decree to completely shutdown the country of 1.3 billion people to stop the spread of coronavirus has temporarily fixed its dirty air crisis and experts hope the chance remedy will inspire future government policies to tackle the problem.
India has witnessed astounding improvement in the air quality within a week of the lockdown with authorities saying 118 large and small cities had been given Air Quality Index ratings of 'good' and 'satisfactory' and are at least four times cleaner than average pollution levels – including the world’s most polluted city of Kanpur. During the winter months, the city usually rates 'severe' - the worst rating.
Satellite imaginary from India’s air pollution monitoring agencies backed up the figures, showing a clean atmosphere across the country.
“The nationwide lockdown since March 24 have resulted in significant improvement in air quality in the country,” India’s Central Pollution Control Board said this week.
Experts say strong winds and rain in the northern region of the country also helped clean the air but credit the lockdown for the dramatic change in air quality that they expect will continue until April 15 when the restrictions end.
"Weather activities over many parts of the country combined with all the restrictions are helping an improvement of the air quality," Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet, a private weather forecaster, told The National.
The world’s largest lockdown has halted the use of some 250 million vehicles, shuttered factories and banned construction activity that experts say remains the main source of harmful fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide.
PM 2.5 is considered particularly dangerous as it can lodge deep into the lungs and cause respiratory and cardiac risks.
Mr Palawat said the lockdown has helped the air become 30 per cent cleaner, adding he expected the pollution levels to oscillate between the “good or satisfactory” categories until the end of lockdown.
“With improved air quality in the long run, the impact would be far-reaching. We expect the ozone layer will also start repairing in a longer run if the lockdown continues for a few months across the world,” Mr Palawat said.
The northern Indian city of Kanpur topped a 2018 WHO air quality report of the world's most polluted cities, prompting the government to roll out a national plan to combat poor air quality.
The National Clean Air Programme launched last year and aimed to reduce PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels by 2024. The programme is in its early stages and has not brought any tangible result so far.
New Delhi, usually shrouded in a grey or yellowish haze, witnessed azure skies and relief for its 22 million residents who normally gasp for fresh air as the Air Quality Index rating reached 42 over the weekend - 'good' by AQI standards and the lowest in nine years.. The average in 2019 was 195 for the city, which the AQI defines as “moderate”.
"I haven't seen such a pristine sky since last Diwali (October). Even though we may be in for a long haul with Covid-19, the fact that it has had a tremendous positive impact on the environment, with cleaner skies, starry nights, and fresher air, one almost takes it as a silver lining," Neha Jindal, a Delhi resident told The National.
Experts say the country has ignored the air pollution crisis for long and believe that the unintended results of the lockdown should help the government plan future strategies to mitigate the pollution that is emerging as a major public health challenge.
"Now that everything is closed, we are getting a never-before opportunity to collect rare data about the Delhi's baseline pollution that will help in planning future strategies to mitigate air pollution issue," MP George, a scientist with Delhi's Pollution Control Board told The National.
India has the highest rates of respiratory disease in the world.
A research paper published in British medical journal The Lancet said 1.24 million deaths in India in 2017 were caused by air pollution.
But many experts fear that the brief relief may actually spell worries for the country’s future air quality due to increased economic activity once the restrictions are lifted.
“Because of the shutdown of industries, people will try to compensate up the loss of their business and there will be an increase in production leading to a jump in the pollution levels,” Gufran Beg, scientist at government-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, told The National.
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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Mobile phone packages comparison
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
SCORES
Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
