A comparative study of air quality between pre and post COVID-19 periods in India

Sarbendu Bikash Dhar ()
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Sarbendu Bikash Dhar: Trivenidevi Bhalotia College

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 27, issue 1, No 63, 1829-1853

Abstract: Abstract Since late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has taken a scourge form worldwide, and to prevent the spread of this virus, a partial or complete lockdown was started. In India, the lockdown has been implemented in four phases starting from 25th March 2020. These circumstances restricted the operations of human movement, vehicles and industries, which began to improve the air quality. The aim of the present work is to enquire about air quality during the lockdown period at the national level in India and specifically in four metropolitan cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The air quality data of critical air pollutants- PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2 and CO of pre-COVID-19 (May & June 2019; and January 2020) and COVID-19 periods (May & June 2020; and January 2021) have been analyzed based on Sentinel 5P satellite image and Indian Central Pollution Control Board data. After a thorough study, it is found that the air quality is improved during the lockdown phase but again it degrades rapidly after the lockdown. Results show that among the four selected metropolitan cities, air pollution in Kolkata is the least whereas Delhi is the most polluted city in India. But the concentration of SO2 is reduced to 20 μg/m3 in the lockdown period from 45 μg/m3 in pre-lockdown periods. Similarly, NO2 was reduced from 52 μg/m3 to 20 μg/m3; CO from 32 μg/m3 to 29 μg/m3 and aerosol concentration from 168 μg/m3 to 125 μg/m3 between pre-lockdown to lockdown periods. For other places and cities in India such air pollution reduction has been noticed. It is to be accomplished that the findings of this study could also be helpful for the policymakers and stakeholders to require some effective future initiatives to manage air quality through the partial lockdown process.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Lockdown; Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Particulate matter 10 and 2.5, Sentinel data, Google Earth Engine, Central Pollution Control Board of India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-03945-z

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