Impact of Pandemic COVID19 on Air and Water Quality in India: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Pandemic COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected all sections of life, including a substantial reduction in economic development and production, from industrial activities to tourism and automobile congestion. During this phase, the maximum human activities were restricted, but COVID-19 came out as a blessing for the environment. Globally reported that all the environmental variables have improved since the pandemic outbreak, including water and air quality and water quality while minimizing the restrictions for wildlife even in urban areas. India has always been a hotspot of pollution, with rising air quality index (AQI) readings in all large cities due to its vast population, traffic congestion, and polluting industries. However, after the lockdown announced during the pandemic, air quality started improving, and Other environmental factors, such as the water quality of rivers, started to improve. This paper reviewed the studies conducted to define the improvement in India's air and water quality during the lockdown period. Different tools such as remote sensing technologies and onsite real-time monitoring are used in many studies to monitor India's air and water quality during this period.

Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water of Harike Wetland, India: Source and Health Risk Assessment

“…Dutta et al revealed improved water quality in the Ganga at Haridwar throughout the lockdown [43,44]. However, according to some reports, the water quality of rivers (Ganga, Chambal, and Svarnarekha) has deteriorated during the pandemic [44,45]. Khan et al also reported on the Gomti River's reduced water quality at various locations throughout Lucknow during the lockdown period [35].…”