Within less than two months of staying indoors, carbon pollution worldwide dropped by 17 per cent. With vehicular and industrial emissions out of the way, levels of particulate matter, including aerosols, have also drastically. Waterbodies, footpaths and community dumpyards look devoid of the garbage that normally inhabits them. The chirping of birds has replaced the sound of screeching bikes and honking cars. The air has cleared up to uncover sights that haven’t been hiding behind the dark fumes of pollution for the last three decades. Here are a few enchanting sights that have been witnessed during the lockdown.
Pride walk
Commuters on a deserted road in Rajasthan were awed by a muster of peacocks that were blocking their way. A video shot by Vinod Sharma and posted on Twitter by Parveen Kaswan, an official at the Indian Forest Service, shows over 40-odd peacocks lounging on the highway before opening up a path for commuting vehicles. The video was posted on May 17 and has received responses of many others who have noticed peacocks in their, otherwise quiet, localities.
A peek at Dauladhar
In the first week of April, residents of Jalandhar in Punjab opened their dew-crusted eyes to a magnificent view of the mountain peaks in the Dauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh. The city is around 200 km away from the mountain range and hasn’t noted sighting of the Himalayas in the last three decades. Similarly, people in Saharanpur have also gained visibility of the snow-capped Himalayan mountain range near Nepal. These sights can be owed to the significant improvement in air quality during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Dolphins dance in the east
The quarantine period saw suspended operations in most industrial units around the country. This led to a complete halt of waste-water discharge into natural waterbodies. The water in the Ganga Ghat in Kolkata has suddenly seen a school of dolphins make appearances due to clean water. Dolphin activity was also registered at the banks of the Ganges near Meerut which lies a little further up the river. Signs of a cleaner Ganga have been noted even at Haridwar where water tests have revealed that the water is fit to drink at this point.
Feathered friends in Roon
A tweet by Parveen Kaswan, IFS official, is a picture of a corridor in the government school in Roon, occupied by around seven peacocks that wandered onto the premises. With students and faculty under lockdown, the feathery friends had no one to block their path. On April 10, Parveen posted the image. In the picture, each peacock has spaced itself out in between the corridor pillars and is neatly seated looking out into the sunlight. A true capture of natural bliss.
Kozhikode welcomes cats
What replaced the everyday traffic in Meppayur, Kozhikode? Witnesses, including two policemen, noticed a large, wild Civet cat roam freely on the main road. In the absence of humans and human- run machines, the cat whose faeces helps produce the most expensive coffee, Luwak, was far away from home, according to authorities. They predicted that it could have come from the jungles of the Western Ghats. With no human activity, the wild cat hardly had to bother about sticking to the boundaries and dodging.
Coyotes on the bridge
Many citizens of San Francisco have reported witnessing a number of coyotes roaming the streets during the lockdown. Historically, San Francisco was inhabited by coyotes. In the mid 1900s, poisoned bait was thrown to wildlife to reduce their numbers in the area and dislocate current populations to the other side of the Bay Area. The lockdown has seen bands of coyotes cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take a stroll down the empty streets of the city. Nature photographers have even captured lone coyotes trotting along the Kirby Cove beach, basking in the sunset.
Deerly beloved
In search of fresh green pastures, herds of deer in Washington felt brave enough to venture into the open streets of Washington DC. With minimal to no human interaction during the lockdown, these animals have expanded grazing grounds to the backyard lawns of the residents of the city. The quadrupeds have been spotted grazing in lawns a few miles from the White House itself.
On a wild journey
Holding the third-highest number of deaths due to coronavirus, citizens of Italy retreated into their houses and stayed there out of fear of being infected. The empty streets now have new guests. Wild boars have been spotted roaming the streets of Barcelona, Bergamo and Sardinia island. Often found looking for grub, the tusked animals have caused no harm to their human counterparts, however, they have taken to rummaging through garbage bins and alleyways for food.
Goats in Wales
In pictures that have surfaced, the Trinity Square in Llandudno, Wales, was treated to the sight of a posse of Great Orm goats strutting in front of shut shops. A pretty sight to behold, the goats have, however, caused a nuisance by vandalising garden by munching through them. Believed to have come from the north Wales mountains, the goats have taken utmost advantage of the lockdown and have let loose on the greens of Llandudno
Sheep lose their way
In early April, a flock of sheep were observed having the time of their lives in a deserted playground in Monmouthshire, Wales. Taking advantage of the mass human quarantine, the quadrupeds from a nearby farm escaped their enclosure and have been recorded playing on the merry go round and the swings. The merry sheep were seen enjoying their time without human interruption or worries and closely resemble unsupervised children.