According to Central Pollution Control Board’s National Air Quality Index data, AQI reading at Delhi’s ITO area was ‘satisfactory’ at 53 on 31 March, 2020, a reduction of about 70% from previous year’s figure of 176 recorded on the same day.
The overall fall in air pollution in the major industrial cities during the lockdown period is primarily a result of factories being closed and restricted to no movement of workers and staff.
Fitch Solutions said it has broadly revised downwards India’s mineral production growth rates per mineral by an average of 4.0% from previous rates, and will likely revise them down further in the coming week.
The government’s fiscal deficit touched 135.2% of the full-year target at February-end mainly due to slower pace of revenue collections, according to an official data.
East Coast Railway has decided to ensure uninterrupted supply of coal to different power houses across the country during the lockdown along with foodgrains, petroleum products and other essential commodities.
Even as the power demand was rising in the first two months of 2020, the lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak has reversed the trend.
Energy consumption has declined by 21-22% to 2,628 GWh since the second week of March, when the lockdown was announced, as per a report by brokerage firm Emkay.