ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic enforced nationwide lockdown, which has restricted human activities from March 24 to May 3 2020, resulted an improved air quality across India. The present research investigates the connection between COVID-19 pandemic imposed lockdown and its relation with present air quality in India; besides, relationship with climate variables and daily new affected cases of Coronavirus and mortality in India during the lockdown period has also been examined. The selected seven air quality pollutant parameters (PM 10 , PM 2.5 , CO, NO 2 , SO 2 , NH 3 and O 3 ) at 223 monitoring stations and temperature recorded in New Delhi were used to investigate the spatial pattern of air quality throughout the lockdown. The results showed that the air quality has improved across the country and average temperature and maximum temperature were connected to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will assist the policy practitioner, researcher, urban planner, and health expert to make suitable strategies against the spreading of COVID-19 in India and abroad.