Pictures Taken Months Apart Show Asia's Biggest Cities Are Roaring Back To Life Again

Countries across Asia are slowly easing restrictions and more people and cars can now be seen on the roads. After months of restrictions Delhi's traffic is back on the roads, the mopeds are back in Hanoi, cars once more clog Karachi's streets and gridlock has returned to Beijing's ring roads. The temporary respite from traffic has been broken.

Though this will no doubt lead to an increase in pollution, this is also a sign of things returning to normal and a reminder that we need to keep moving forward. So here's a look at some before and after image combinations of roads from major Asian cities.

1. New Delhi, India

Left: Deserted view of Vikas Marg after the nationwide lockdown announced amid the rising cases of COVID-19 in New Delhi on March 23, 2020.

Right: Heavy traffic congestion seen at ITO and Yamuna Bridge area after the fourth phase of nationwide lockdown eased restriction in New Delhi on May 19, 2020.

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2. Banglore, India

Left: Deserted street during the nationwide lockdown to curb the COVID-19 infection on April 5, 2020.

Right: Bangalore traffic jams returned as Karnataka government relaxed lockdown norms, in Bengaluru on May 19, 2020.

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3. Delhi-Ghazipur Border, India

Left: Few vehicles are seen at Gazipur checkpoint at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border on March 23, 2020.

Right: Traffic jam at Ghazipur border from Delhi to UP as selective relaxation was given in non-containment areas from April 20, 2020.

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4. Bangkok, Thailand

Left: The empty street ahead of a nationwide curfew aimed at stemming the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Bangkok on April 3, 2020.

Right: A similar picture shows traffic on the street after lockdown was eased on May 14, 2020.

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5. Yangon, Myanmar

Left: The empty street is along Mahabandoola road, with the Sule pagoda in the background, in Yangon on April 12, 2020, amid restrictions put in place to halt the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

Right: The same street after some relaxation in lockdown in Yangon on May 14, 2020.

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6. Beijing, China

Left: A man in the normally bustling Wangfujing shopping street in central Beijing on February 10, 2020.

Right: A large crowd are seen in the same street after lockdown was eased on May 14, 2020.

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7. Yangon, Myanmar

Left: An empty street, amid restrictions put in place to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Yangon on April 10, 2020.

Right: The same street shows cars and buses lined up in Yangon on May 14, 2020.

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9. Karachi, Pakistan

Left: A man walking on a deserted street near a closed mosque ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Karachi on April 24, 2020

Right: Commuters making their way along the same street after the government eased the nationwide lockdown on May 11, 2020.

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10. Wuhan, China

Left: A man wearing a face mask rides a motorcycle on an empty street in China's central Hubei province on January 26, 2020.

Right: Motorists commuting on the same street on April 1, 2020.

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11. Hanoi, Vietnam

Left: The deserted look during Vietnam's nationwide "complete social isolation" in Hanoi on April 6, 2020.

Right: Motorists wearing face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus travel along a busy traffic intersection in Hanoi on May 13, 2020.

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12. Wuhan, China

Left: Few people commuting on a street during COVID-19 lockdown on January 26, 2020.

Right: Motorists waiting to cross the same intersection after easing in lockdown on April 1, 2020.

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13. Jakarta, Indonesia

Left: The vehicles commuting on a deserted road in loose traffic on April 10, 2020.

Right: Commuters starting to fill up the road after up to two months of work from home policy begun amid concern to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Jakarta on May 14, 2020.

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14. Sydney, Australia

Left: An empty street after restrictions put in place to control the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus on April 15, 2020.

Right: A heavy traffic pass through the street after an ease in the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown restrictions in Central Sydney on May 15, 2020.

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