Ever since the coronavirus pandemic came into being, cities all over the world are reporting a steady improvement in Air Quality. In Lucknow itself, the effects are rather unmissable. This is perhaps the only good thing to come out of the national Lockdown.
Today, we take a statistical look at Lucknow’s AQI trends over the past year. Not only is it a message about how staying inside can make a world of a difference to nature, but also about how we humans are responsible for the shortening lifespan of the Earth.
The difference of a year
To start off, take a look at the improvement of the AQI in Lucknow since 25th March, the first day when the nationwide lockdown was announced. On March 25, the AQI in Lucknow stood between 170 and 257, both of which are figures that come in the Moderate to Poor categories.
Going even further back, last year in May, by this time, pollution figures rose to nearly 369 (on 8th May, 2019), which was, back then considered to be just a bit above average. Anything above 350 is considered hazardous and can lead to severe breathing complications.
Ever since the lockdown began, the AQI has been steadily coming down, which is a good thing. Today, on May 8, 2020 the AQI stands at just 82, which is nothing short of a dream come true. In fact, the many days of lack of vehicles on the roads and factories being shut down have also led to a decline in the overall average AQI of Lucknow, which is around 90-96.
Look beyond statistics
If these statistics do not float your boat, then all you have to do is simply stand outside at night and take a look at the sky above. Right now, you would be able to see almost double the number of stars you would ordinarily see. The reason? Pollution has cleared out and made way for cleaner skies and even better air.
However, this does not mean that all of us come out on the streets and celebrate this feat. Rather, what we can do is try to live out our lives with some compassion towards the planet. Once the lockdown is lifted, things are most likely going back to the way they were.
Since we’ve all been through times of terrible air quality, the choice is yours- are you satisfied with deadly AQIs that pose a threat or do you want to change things and make clean air the norm?
All figures have been taken from the CPCB NAQI
