Let us find how the environment and we have adapted to this unwelcomed guest in our lives:
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Clear Blue Skies and Cleaner Air
Thanks to the lockdown, one thing is remarkably abundant i.e. cleaner air. There are no trains, no flights, minimal on road traffic and few functioning industries. For the first time in years, the Himalayan range is visible from a distance. Waterways polluted by industrial waste, like the Yamuna River in the capital city, is now flowing unimpeded.
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India’s Lockdown Brings Bollywood and Cricket to a Halt
For we Indians, the virus has brought the lifelines of entertainment – Cricket and Bollywood, to a halt in a way that is hard to imagine before. Celebrities are confined to their dwellings with no room for shootings and the much anticipated Indian Premier League season almost seems to be canceled at least for the current year.
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Animals Sighted Roaming in Urban Areas
Interestingly, animals have started to flood urban environments, as humans take indoors endlessly. Delhi, the national capital, observed monkeys loitering at storefronts and entering shops closed. Sheep and goats were seen around the now empty Istanbul Airport Highway in Turkey.
The other side of the present situation is alarming. The extended lockdown is threatening the life of some animals. Stray cows and dogs are struggling to find food, as the waste bin scraps have disappeared due to shops and restaurant closure. The shelters at some places are too finding it difficult to feed animals and strays during the lockdown. Some horses have even died of starvation in Kolkata as there is no more demand for the tourist carriage rides.
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Treat for Bird Watchers
Alike animals, birds which are mostly found near forests, green landscapes and water bodies are frequently seen in the city areas. In Mumbai, peacocks (national bird) were seen perching on top of parked cars flaunting their spectacular beauty. This year a huge number of flamingos have arrived (25% more than last year) in Navi Mumbai traveling from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and some even from Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
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Affect on Indian Weddings
The new coronavirus has caused havoc on traditional spring weddings. It has left thousands of couples in India and the world over disappointed as celebrations are postponed or canceled. While there are ones who chose to tie the knot were allowed to did so only in the presence of a few persons, on the other hand, most of the marriages got postponed, or canceled for the time being. The ones who went lucky can feel content that the situation helped them save big bucks on things like arrangements, online cake delivery, etc. resulting in a cost-saving wedding for the couples and families.
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Dip in Rape Cases but more Domestic Violence
The significant lockdown may keep women safe from coronavirus; but it has driven many of them into something equally distressing domestic abuse and sexual harassment. Being 24X7 together makes women an easy target. According to a report by the National Commission for Women, a staggering 257 cases of crime against women for a duration of just 10 days from 23 March to 1 April (during lockdown); were recorded as compared to 116 cases recorded for a duration of 7 normal days from 2 March to 8 March. Rape or attempt to rape 13 cases have been registered as compared to the average of 2 cases during the normal days.
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Fewer Murders and Death Due to Accidents
India is experiencing a dramatic drop in the number of deaths due to road and rail accidents amid the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown. Even patients with alcohol or drug abuse and heart attacks are reduced in numbers.
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Students in Dilemma!
While this time of year when students anticipate their summer vacations, this year they seem to be rather eager, to begin with, their new session! Undoubtedly they are getting online sessions, lesson plans but that too at the cost of no leisure activities! On the other hand, there are those stuck in the middle of the examinations and even some are stranded in far cities and abroad; where only God knows the next best!
The lockdown, with no second thought, is a boon in the way that it is the ‘only’ way to combat the deadly virus, have cleaner air and water and in many other senses; but ultimately the world needs to pace in order to recover what it has lost in terms of economy. The current situation is a peculiar example of the two sides of the same coin! Once we overcome the pandemic the world needs to revive and consider how things can be done differently!
