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'Beautiful' view emerges as polluted sky clears in India amid lockdown

By Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist & Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Apr. 14, 2020 2:48 PM EDT

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If you’re out and about in Indonesia, you might run into one of these spirits.

Amid the world's largest countrywide COVID-19 lockdown, India residents are able to see a magnificent sight that has been shrouded in pollution for decades.

On Tuesday, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the extension of country's lockdown to May 3, asking all of its 1.3 billion residents to stay home.

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has had one silver lining: lessening pollution levels for many across the globe.

Satellite images show the reduction of pollution across northern India and Pakistan between the middle of November 2019 and April 12, 2020. Photo/NASA

Satellite images show a significant reduction in haze caused by pollution across northern India and Pakistan from the middle of November 2019 compared to April 12, 2020.

The falling pollution levels for parts of India and Pakistan gave way to blue skies, and allowed residents to behold a magnificent sight.

Visit accuweather.com/airquality

Clearing skies from lower pollution levels has left the tallest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, visible to those in northern India, up to 200 km (125 miles) away.

The snow-capped Himalayas are now visible for the first time in 30 years for residents in India's north. The beautiful mountains are 200kms away but have not been visible for decades due to high pollution levels. 📷: @covsinghtj pic.twitter.com/M3nNLBq4sr

— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) April 8, 2020

The last time that cities in the state of Punjab, like Jalandhar, saw the Himalayan Mountains was about 30 years ago.

National Public Radio (NPR) reported that the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air had dramatically dropped since Modi first imposed the countrywide lockdown in March. The Air Quality Index fell as low as 45 late in the month, when a normal value in late March is around 160.

India’s central pollution control board reported that a total of 85 cities in India showed improvement just one week after the lockdown.

View from pathankot vir ji.
increidble dhauladhar range.
Nature is reviving. pic.twitter.com/YcLoXWeDC0

— Manu Mehta 🇮🇳 (@Manu_Mehta_ind) April 3, 2020

Related:

Wildfire near Chernobyl nuclear plant under control, officials say
Daily coronavirus briefing: World economy could experience worst recession since Great Depression
AccuWeather';s free COVID-19 warning service extended to new states as severe weather looms

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

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