A view to remember! Himachal Pradesh's Dhauladhar range visible from Jalandhar

In an unexpected but pleasant turn of events, Himachal Pradesh’s Dhauladhar range became visible to the residents of Punjab’s Jalandhar because of the country-wide lockdown. The snow-clad peaks were a sight to behold as pollution levels dipped remarkably across the two states.

The startling sight enamoured Jalandhar’s residents as many of them took to their rooftops to capture the images. As per a report from Press Trust of India, Amardeep Singh, a Jalandhar resident said, “For a moment, I could not believe myself! My joy knew no bounds, I hurriedly clicked the photographs and shared it with my friends. Instantly, social media was flooded with photos of Dhauladhar Range. From selfies to videos, we enjoyed every moment watching the grand mountains.”

The elderly in the city pointed out that they have felt a remarkable change in the air quality after the lockdown was imposed. This was self-evident as Jalandhar is around 160 km away from the location of the majestic mountains near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

“Even the birds, especially sparrows, which were till now missing from our surroundings are visible these days,” said an elderly couple Baldev Atwal and Karamjit Atwal. Even birds welcomed the clear skies and clean air, as they came flying back to cities.

Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Superintending Engineer (SE) Sandeep Bahal said the ranges could be seen from Jalandhar because of the improved Air Quality Index.

“The air quality index of various cities, including Ludhiana, has improved. People should understand that a clean environment and clear sky has given them a good quality life within 10 days. It is our appeal to every industrialist, shopkeeper and layman to protect the environment and enjoy nature”, Bahal told.

Image credit: Twitter/JaiveerShergill/