Above: This combination of Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, top, and Monday, April 20, 2020 photos shows New Delhi's skyline. | On March 25, the first day of the lockdown, the average PM 2.5 levels decreased by 22 per cent and nitrogen dioxide - which comes from burning fossil fuels - dropped by 15 per cent, according to air pollution data analyzed by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. ``These are extraordinary times,'' said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Center for Science and Environment, a research and advocacy organization in New Delhi. She attributed the drop in air pollutants to less vehicles on the road, construction activity, and factories shutting down. ``People are more vulnerable during a pandemic in areas with high pollution,'' she said. "Our lungs and hearts are already compromised, and we cannot fight the virus.''
Agencies