Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the World. The level of air pollution is many times the unsafe limits as prescribed by the WHO and Indian government. There have been many interventions by the government to contain the pollution like Odd-Even scheme of vehicle rationing, prohibiting heavy traffic into the city, condemning old vehicles, construction of peripheral highways etc. However, none of the interventions have been effective to provide the desired results. On the contrary the ongoing Lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming improvement in the air quality in not only Delhi but entire country. Multiple media reports have mentioned about clear skies, cleaner air, improvement in quality of water in rivers etc. While the deterioration of environmental conditions is linked with the anthropogenic activities, the absence of these activities during the Lockdown has brought the impact into prominence. While the Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health and economic crisis, it also provides a rare opportunity to study this impact. Author has carried out this exploratory research in his city of Delhi to determine the impact of Lockdown on the Air Quality.

air quality, Covid-19 Pandemic, Delhi, impact, polluted cities