Sustain the Sustainable Change - A policy brief to sustain the benefits of the COVID-19 lockdown on air, water, and noise pollution levels in India

Rampant pollution, an externality of economic activity has steadily given rise to a global health crisis of far greater magnitude than the ongoing pandemic, with Indian cities consistently being the worst performers in annual listings that evaluate pollution levels. To combat the growing COVID-19 pandemic, on March 24, 2020, India entered a state of extended nationwide lockdown. This unprecedented event created a unique opportunity to take a closer look at how pollution levels respond to a decrease in economic activity, especially of the industrial, construction and transportation sector.

However, as restrictions loosen and regular activity resumes, projections indicate that pollution will not only return, but may intensify as we attempt to make up for the lost time. With India easing out of its own lockdown, there arises a pressing need for the introduction of policies that ensure the present drop in pollution can be sustained.

GRIHA Council introduces this policy brief -Sustain the Sustainable Change- with the intent to bolster the expansion of existing policies and propose the implementation of new initiatives that can ensure a reduction in pollution moving forward.

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