Have any effect of COVID-19 lockdown on environmental sustainability? A study from most polluted metropolitan area of India

Abstract

The long-term lockdown due to COVID-19 has beneficial impact on the natural environment. India has enforced a lockdown on 24th March 2020 and was subsequently extended in various phases. The lockdown due to the sudden spurt of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a significant decline in concentration of air pollutants across India. The present article dealt with scenarios of air quality concentration of air pollutants, and effect on climatic variability during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, India. The result showed that the air pollutants are significantly reduced and the air quality index (AQI) was improved during the lockdown months. Aerosol concentrations decreased by − 54.94% from the period of pre-lockdown. The major air pollutants like particulate matters (PM_2.5, PM₁₀), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and Ozone (O₃) were observed the maximum reduction ( − 40 to  − 60%) in the COVID-19 lockdown period. The AQI has been improved by 54.94% in the lockdown period. On the other hand, Sen’s slope rank and the Mann–Kendal trend test showed the daily decreased of air pollutants rate is  − 0.051 to  − 1.586 μg /m3. The increasing trend of daily minimum, average, and maximum temperature from the month of March to May in this year (2020s) are 0.091, 0.118, and 0.106 °C which is lowest than the 2016s to 2019s trend. Therefore, this research has an enormous opportunity to explain the effects of the lockdown on air quality and climate variability, and it can also be helpful for policymakers and decision-makers to enact appropriate measures to control air pollution.