COVID-19 Forced Lockdown: Nature’s Strategy to Rejuvenate Itself

Coronavirus diseases-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged in late 2019 and many countries initially adopted partial or complete lockdown measures to restrict the transmission of the disease, as effective drugs or vaccines were unavailable till then. Imposing lockdown drastically reduced anthropogenic and commercial activity. All types of large and small industries and markets were closed; all sorts of public and commercial transportation, except for the essential ones, along with railways and flights were completely shut off. Worldwide reports and research indicating that COVID-19 induced lockdown might have a crucial impact on the global environment. During the lockdown, air and water quality improved significantly due to low atmospheric pollution, environmental noise reduced and wild lives are also blooming. COVID-19 may be nature’s warning to the human being; when human beings are confined in homes for saving their lives, nature takes advantage and try to heal herself. Based on available research and media reporting, in this article, we try to summarize the episode of COVID-19 induced lockdown and its effect on the environment especially emphasizing the Indian context.