While humans across the world are in lockdown, the earth seems to be taking this chance to take a deep breath. With people locked away and not doing harmful “human” things, nature has a chance to catch up and heal a bit from the stress we put it under.

Citizens in India can see the mountains in the distance for the first time in 30 years.

It is easy to forget the effect we have on the world around us. Some of the rare good news amidst the coronavirus epidemic is news of pollution levels dropping across the globe as people shelter in place. With factories not operating and people not driving, there is less air pollution to a degree not seen in decades.

In the city of Pathankot, the evidence is clear.

Pathankot is an Indian city located in the northern part of the country. Known for its beauty and history, these citizens just got a reminder of its heritage. For the first time in over 30 years, the citizens here are able to see the Himilayan mountains in the distance. Due to air pollution, they have been hidden behind a have for over three decades.

The mountains are over 200k away! You can even see the snow that is present on the tops of the majestic peaks.

Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has been a vocal part of inspiring environmental change over the years. He said:

“We can see the snow-covered mountains clearly from our roofs. And not just that, stars are visible at night. I have never seen anything like this in recent times,”

People are taking to social media to celebrate their new and beautiful view.

Tj Singh was astonished at the beauty of the distant mountains.

Himalaya mountains can be seen from Jalandhar since pollution has reduced in Punjab. Beautiful sight 😍#punjab #COVID19 #pollution pic.twitter.com/iZy7hwxX9R

— TjSingh (@covsinghtj) April 3, 2020

A famous celebrity, Harbhajan Singh, was a cricketer who posted this:

Never seen Dhauladar range from my home rooftop in Jalandhar..never could imagine that’s possible..clear indication of the impact the pollution has done by us to Mother Earth 🌍.. this is the view pic.twitter.com/laRzP8QsZ9

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 3, 2020

My favorite picture of the bunch has to be this one:

A picture captured today from sialkot LOC . Kashmir mountains. This kind of clear we are seeing after around more than 30 years pic.twitter.com/67KVRNJTOr

— Khawar S Khawaja (@khawajaks) April 4, 2020

With one of the largest populations in the world, India often struggles with air pollution levels.

AQI stands for Air Quality Index and is a common measurement of air pollution and quality. A recent report read:

“Data shows that on average, Indian cities had an AQI of 115 between March 16 and 24. The air quality started showing improvements from the first day of the 21-day lockdown. The average AQI fell to 75 in the first three days of the lockdown,”

This is more than just an Indian phenomenon, it is being noticed globally.

Countries around the world are reporting reduced pollution levels and increased wildlife activity. Japan recently had reports of deer winding through cities after people stopped going to the parks where the deer were often fed! Italy also reported decreased amounts of Nitrogen Dioxide and clearer canals in Venice. It seems there are countries around the world who are able to see a positive side to such a deadly event.

More than just good news, there may even be a correlation between air quality and recovery rates!

Researchers are looking into the differences in the death rate between Northern Italy and the rest of the country. The northern parts had a death rate of 12% while the rest of the country was closer to 4.5%.

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Source: SBS, Science Business