People in India say they’re seeing the Himalayas for first time in decades amid drop in air pollution

People in Punjab, India, say they’re seeing parts of the Himalayas clearly for the first time in decades as the country’s government has linked its coronavirus lockdown to a recent improvement in air quality.

A report released by the country’s Central Pollution Control Board late last month said the nationwide curfew implemented on March 22 and the subsequent lockdown ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi two days later “resulted in significant improvement in air quality in the country, as revealed by data analysis and comparison of data for time before enforcement of restrictions.”

As a result, according to CNN, some parts of the Himalayas can currently be seen from over 100 miles away. 

One person in Punjab shared photos showing peaks of the mountain they said were captured from their rooftop, saying: “For the first time in almost 30 years could clearly see the Himalayas due to India’s lockdown clearing air pollution.”

This was the view from our rooftop at home in Punjab India. For the first time in almost 30 years could clearly see the Himalayas due to India’s lockdown clearing air pollution. Just amazing! pic.twitter.com/WmWZYQ68lC

— Manjit K Kang #StayHomeSaveLives (@KangManjit) April 3, 2020

Others also shared photos of the mountain range on Twitter.

What nature really is and how we screwed it up.

This is Dhauladhar mountain range of Himachal, visible after 30 yrs, from Jalandhar (Punjab) after pollution drops to its lowest level. This is approx. 200 km away straight. #Lockdown21 #MotherNature #Global healing. pic.twitter.com/cvZqbWd6MR

— Soul of a Warrior (@Deewalia) April 3, 2020

According to the country’s pollution board, in Delhi alone, a reduction of up to 44 percent in particulate matter levels was recorded within the first day of the curfew’s implementation.

The board said in the report that “the reduction in number of on-road vehicles, resulted in up to 51 percent reduction in NOx levels and 32 percent reduction in CO levels during March 22-23, 2020 as compared to March 21, 2020.”

According to the latest John Hopkins University data, over 6,200 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in India, out of the nearly 1.5 million cases reported worldwide as of Thursday morning. More than 180 people have died from the virus in the country, which has also reported over 560 recoveries.