The months of lock-down (4 and counting) have been trying, and yes, I am feeling a bit blue.

Having said that, there are a few things that I am grateful for during these trying times. I live in a gated apartment complex with a good walking path. I go for a brisk morning walk 4 – 5 times a week. And this morning was an especially beautiful one.

One clear difference that I have been observing since the lock-down is the colour of the skies. In most Indian cities, the colour of the sky is a hazy shade of pale blue or light grey. And I always used to wonder as to how the skies in many cities outside of India (I am looking at you, Sydney!) are such a vivid shade of blue.

I now know the answer to this – air pollution. The skies over Bangalore over the past few months have been the bluest that I have seen in any Indian city. And the reason for this was made even more apparent this morning. We are now in another lock-down in Bangalore, which, I believe, has led to a reduction in vehicular traffic on the roads. And the sky today was possibly the clearest blue that I have ever seen here.

This phenomenon has been observed and reported on previously. I am a realist when it comes to these matters, and have no doubt that, once the lock-down is lifted, air pollution is going to rise again. And that means, bye-bye blue skies. So enjoy the most of it while it lasts!