Lockdown 2.0 Did Not Lower Pollution In India, Delhi Saw 125% Jump In NO2 Levels: Report

Even as Delhi recovers from COVID 2nd wave, the air pollution is not going down. The air quality is worsening and no remedy seems in sight.

According to a new report by Greenpeace India as per India Today, several states are suffering from air pollution despite successive lockdowns.

Delhi has the worst breathable air and has seen a huge spike of 125% in NO2 levels.

PTI

This is for April 2021 in comparison to the same month back in 2020.

At the time of the filing of the report, the AQI in Delhi remained in the poor category with PM 2.5 concentration at 240 and nitrogen dioxide levels at around 140.

Chennai takes 2nd place with a 94 per cent spike in pollution levels followed by Bengaluru which saw an increase of 90 per cent.

PTI

¡°The air quality levels in these cities are alarming. People saw clean skies and breathed fresh air during the nationwide lockdown though it was an unintended consequence of the pandemic. The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is a case to transition to cleaner, equitable and sustainable decentralised energy sources," said Avinash Chanchal, Senior Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace India.

"The lockdowns failed to check pollution this time around as they were partially implemented due to the critical and the tragic situation across states," he added.