A sight that has been masked by the particulates of air pollution, became visible to the delight of Jalandhar residents. Call it irony or the sheer consequence of human activities, the mighty Dhauladhar range was no longer visible from the city since ages. As some senior citizens said that it has been almost a generation that the snow-capped mountains were seen from their hometown.
Majestic Dhauladhar range clearly visible as air pollution subsides / Image: Susanta Nanda IFS/Twitter
The reason for this spectacle is obviously the coronavirus invoked 21-day lockdown which has pinned down 1.3 billion Indians inside their safe havens. With almost negligible vehicular movement and other industrial activities jarred to a grinding halt, the air pollution levels have reduced drastically in the country.
The air quality index (AQI) in most of the cities of the country is well below 100 and in some places even below 50 which is having minimal impact on the environment. In fact, the level of air pollution has dramatically reduced in numerous other countries around the globe too.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 spread was imposed on March 24 midnight and will stay imposed till April 15, 2020, which gives Mother Nature some time to revive and reclaim its lost balance. With more days to go, we can expect to see more such sights from Indian cities as well as worldwide.
Zoomed view caught by Indian spin bowler Harbhajan Singh / Image: Twitter
Dhauladhar mountain range almost 213 km away from the city gave Jalandhar residents something to cherish amidst the coronavirus outbreak which is spreading its claws with every passing day. Not to mention, it also gives us all a chance to reflect back on our actions on planet earth and how aggressively the human race is living.
Snow-capped mountain range visible from Punjab / Image: TJSingh/Twitter
Also Read: COVID-19 Lockdown Reveals Decline in Air Pollution Throughout World
Thankfully, netizens didn’t miss this once in a lifetime chance to savor the spectacle and also capture it on their smartphones and cameras.
Here are some highlighting tweets which were appreciated by the online community as they have something to cheer about in this difficult time.