The COVID-19 pandemic which is sweeping the globe, causing a health crisis and threatening livelihoods at an alarming rate, has had an impact on the environment, albeit a positive one, at least in Chandigarh, if not globally.
French architect Le Corbusier’s aesthetically designed Ville Verte (green city)—Chandigarh witnessed clean skies and breathed clean air during the lockdown period in the months of March, April, May and even June when the first phase of unlocking the lockdown had begun. Not only this, the ever-increasing incidents of animal fatalities and man-animal conflicts also witnessed a steep decline in the city.
Every day during the lockdown period brought viral images and stories related to wild animals venturing out into human habitations in broad daylight and clear blue skies with pollution levels declining sharply. Undoubtedly, the narrative of nature healing itself brought a fleeting moment of cheer in Chandigarh.
The signs of nature scoring a victory during the COVID-19 triggered lockdown period are corroborated by the data of drastic decline in pollution levels in Chandigarh. The restriction in vehicular movement during lockdown has had an immediate impact on pollution levels.
Sample this, the air quality index recorded through Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) installed at Panjab University in Sector 25 was 34 (average) during lockdown period in March and 42 (average) in the month of April. In 2019, the AQI recorded was 80 and 95 in March and April respectively in the city.
Similarly, the AQI recorded was 65 and 56 in the months of May and June this year respectively in the city. In Industrial Area Phase-1 in Chandigarh, the AQI was recorded 113 in May and 102 in June 2019 which has declined to 69 and 74 during the corresponding time period this year.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe.
While the air quality index was recorded in the ‘satisfactory’ category in the months of March and April last year, it had turned ‘very poor’ in November. Infact, the AQI was recorded at its poorest ever in Chandigarh in November last year. The city had recorded a high concentration of PM 10- (particulate matters with diameter of 10 microns or less) and PM 2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns)-form of air pollution, which poses the greatest risk to health.
Notably, a curfew, which was imposed on March 24 in the city to ensure social distancing to stem the spread of COVID-19, was lifted on May 3 midnight by the UT Administration. After this, the timing of movement was relaxed and markets, offices, and the hospitality sector across the city were allowed to re-open gradually.
Currently, the urban city of Chandigarh faces a major challenge due to continuous growth of population, private vehicle ownership, congestion and also due to the fragility of public transport here.
According to the State of Environment Report, Chandigarh (SOEC) 2018, vehicle emissions have become the major reason of pollution in the city. Chandigarh has over two vehicle per capita households, making it the city with highest density of vehicles in the country. The percentage increase in the total number of vehicles in Chandigarh for more than over a decade (2007-2018) has been over 24.5, the SOEC stated.
Pollution in any form, whether it is air or water, poses an environmental risk to the health of the exposed population. In recent years, the effects of air pollution on health have been intensively studied and showed how it harms human health and particularly is harmful for those who are already vulnerable because of their age as children and older people or people with existing health problems. One such study concluded that the city residents may be losing up to 5.9 years of their lives due to exposure to severe air pollution. The air quality life index (AQLI), produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has stated that citizens in Chandigarh can live up to 5.9 years more on an average, if particulate concentrations in the city are at the level of 10 µg/m3(10 mili-micrograms per meter cube) which is deemed safe by the WHO. An analysis from 1998 -2016 has put the years of decrease in life expectancy due to changes in air quality at 3.1 years in Chandigarh.
A state action plan on climate change for Chandigarh was put in place in 2015 but it has not achieved much in terms of addressing environmental concerns. The UT Administration is now drawing up concrete plans including conducting an emission inventory study to address the problem of air pollution besides working on encouraging carpooling and cycling in a big way in Chandigarh. Nevertheless, the city still has a long way to go in air pollution mitigation and needs a comprehensive plan, enhanced implementation and monitoring.
Debendra Dalai, Director, UT Department of Environment, and Chief Conservator of Forests, tells The Pioneer, “Chandigarh’s air quality has been oscillating between good and satisfactory categories for the last four months. With restrictions on vehicular movement during the lockdown period, the air quality had improved in the city.” To address the problem of air pollution, Dalai says, “The Department has planned to conduct a year-long emission inventory study on the level and source of pollution in Chandigarh.”
The study, aimed at preparing strategy for cost effective measures to deal with air pollution in union territory of Chandigarh, will cover all three seasons of summer, monsoon and winter to collect data on seasonal variations and its bearing on air quality.
To address all the expected anthropogenic emission sources in Chandigarh, it has been planned to include many non-criteria pollutants in the study for understanding the extent of the problem and comparison with earlier data base. The major air pollutants to be covered in the study include SO2, NOx, CO, Benzene, Aldehydes, Alkenes, NMHC, THC, PAH, PM10 and PM 2.5. While the COVID-19 induced restrictions undoubtedly resulted in drop in pollution levels, its impact on wildlife also cannot be ignored in the city.
During the lockdown period, we came across videos of wild animals wandering through the roads in Chandigarh. A herd of Sambars, Spotted Deers were seen walking freely on roads, peacocks were seen strolling the city streets and two leopards had also strayed into the residential area in the city from Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. One feline was even captured by the UT Forest and Wildlife Department and later, released back into the wild.
However, no major incident of animal fatality was reported during the lockdown period in Chandigarh.
Abdul Qayum, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Chandigarh said there was no major accident reported involving a wild animal during the past four months in the city. More than 40 wild animals were killed on the city roads during last year. The fatalities reported during accidents last year included Nilgai, Sambars, Peacocks, Porcupines among other animals, who had strayed into human habitation from the forest areas.
Chandigarh, which is a joint capital of two neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana, has a protected area—Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, spreading over an area of 26 sq km of forest land spanning the plains at the foothills of Shivalik range. Among other forest areas in the city include Lake Reserve Forests and Patiala-Ki-Rao Forests. “With deserted roads and reduced human activities, sightings of wild animals had increased in the city during the lockdown period for two months. Reduced vehicular movement and industrial activity in the city have improved the air quality and also gave space for wild animals to roam around more freely than before,” says Qayum.
“During March and April, less number of calls were received on the man-animal conflict helpline as compared to last year,” he adds.
Earlier, the average number of calls received and responded to on the man-animal conflict helpline were three to six on a daily basis. In 2019, as many as 104 calls were received on the helpline in March, 127 in April, 129 in May and 136 in June. This year, 71 complaints were received before lockdown imposition in March, 45 complaints were received in April and 98 in May. The number of complaints however has witnessed an increase in the month of June with 168 calls as against 136 last year.
During 2018, the number of complaints registered was 126 in March, 141 in April, 129 in May and 136 in June. The complaints received on the helpline are generally related to Sambars, Nilgai and Monkeys venturing into human habitations and also related to Snakes, Bats, Owls, Eagles, Peacocks, Pigeons among other species.
As the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, many parallels have been drawn between the health crisis and environmental crisis. While there are many gaps that perhaps will never be filled to address the environmental problems, the current pandemic has certainly put a spotlight on the environment and offered an opportunity to expand our understanding on the complex problem of environmental crisis.
The environmentalists emphasize that it is equally important to put environment and wildlife in the agenda list as the local authorities are now busy formulating policies for reviving the economy with the city entering the unlock 2.0 phase that has paved way for easing up lockdown restrictions amid the pandemic.