Abstract

The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced affected countries to implement strict lockdown to contain the spread of this disease before the advent of the vaccine. This containment resulted in social and economic crisis globally. This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on three “P” s of sustainability (Planet, People, and Profit) in India. A comparative analysis was conducted by evaluating the available secondary data in different sectors during the pre-lockdown and lockdown period. Seven major air quality parameters: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) were studied in six states of India to review the ambient air quality status. Stratified random sampling technique was used in this study for collective portrayal of the country’s air quality. A drastic cutback of the level of PM2.5 and PM10 with significant increase of O3 was observed in the lockdown phase for most of the selected monitoring stations. A significant change in level of PM2.5 and PM10 was observed when t-test was performed in between the pre-lockdown and lockdown period. Improvement of ambient air quality was also observed considering the air quality index (AQI) during lockdown. The trend and volatility of two broad Indian stock market indices, SENSEX and NIFTY-50, were analyzed, and results showed that both the indices have recovered during the forty-day lockdown phase. The potential effects of the crisis on various sectors of Indian economy were assessed in this study, and a set of policy recommendations for these sectors were suggested.

Highlights

  • A study based on Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, showed that the restricted movement and social distancing can curtail the rampant spread of the virus [36]

  • The advent of the COVID-19 globally has led to the enforcement of complete as well as partial lockdown worldwide

  • The findings of this study showed that the increasing rate of the COVID-19 can be controlled by extending lockdown

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Summary

Introduction

A sudden occurrence of pneumonia with an unrevealed etiology in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019 created a global health concern. The severity of this disease unfolded as large number of similar fatal cases erupted in China and it became ubiquitous very rapidly. The Chinese authorities surprised the world with the identification of a new type of coronavirus on 7 January 2020. The outbreak of this highly dynamic novel coronavirus resulted in worldwide chaos [1].

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