COVID-19 has impacted every individual’s life globally – I wouldn’t define it adversely or positively as the impact has been very relative depending on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors controlling one’s life. But one thing that I’m sure everyone’s appreciating is how nature is reviving and how our planet is healing. It almost seems like an act of god to make the human race realize the true beauty of this planet and how our race has always been insidiously undermining this novel gift.

I’m telling you, I have been seeing clearer skies these days than ever before in my life. I can hear those chirpy birds which I had "probably" heard more than a decade ago and maybe never after life happened and I got busy making something out of it. Dust is becoming a rare thing around which was the norm and a usual thing every day – outrageous amounts of dust and pollution was created and displaced due to human activities such as construction, mining, travel, etc. Let’s look at the silver lining of Corona virus.

The immediate effect of corona virus outbreak is more than half of the world put under complete lockdown leading to the below:

1.      Significant reduction in seismic noise – even the earth has calmed down.

2.      Nature reclaiming its space.

3.      Pollution levels significantly decreasing

4.      Water bodies becoming cleaner

This pandemic has hit a reset button on a lot of things. One thing we must learn is co-existence. Since humans began retreating from public spaces due to the fear of Corona virus, nature has begun claiming its space.

Dolphins have returned to the Italy’s cost – thanks to the missing crew ships. There are swans in Italy’s canals (a rare sight); canals that are otherwise always crowded with Gondolas and tourists. In Singapore, Otters are roaming freely – again thanks to the empty public spaces. (*Information quoted from ABC news)

Egyptian geese are walking freely on tarmac of Tel Aviv airport of Israel – courtesy of grounded flights and travel restrictions by the governments.

These examples are a grim reminder of how we as humans have taken over the earth. We’ve encroached on the territory of other living beings. We’ve destroyed habits, killed animals and over used resources. We do not own this planet. We share the world with a lot of other living beings. Our lives are as much about co-habitation as about survival of the fittest. We humans cannot be bringing down forests, destroying habitats and polluting oceans putting the survival of other living species at stake.

Let the corona virus crisis leave us with this lesson. Learn to co-exist or nature will find extreme ways to claim its space. Think about it!