I wanted to find a map of Indian pollution averages, pull that up and a map of covid deaths - https://aqicn.org/map/india/ does real-time air-quality and does give some idea.
Also other factors that may or may not play a part would be the climate, we know how well virus's do in winter over summer, equally peoples health. Now India climate wise - the only difference that sticks out this time of year would be that on average the humidity is at it's lowest point of the year, as is rainfall. Are they factors, maybe and equally less rain would also mean more particulates in the air and that we can measure with air quality.
[EDIT ADD] AS for nutritional - let us be mindful that the impact of a whole year upon business and income in India may well of seen peoples nutritional intake decline due to trickle down economics being quick to pass on the bad times over the good, and for many income wise this year not been good and not everybody gets paid to stay at home in every country.
His research [1] indicated that brazil (manaus) and ecuador (guayaquil) - both hit early on by the disease- showed a very strong predictive basis for spikes in covid19 deaths/cases, and massive rainfall.
Now, its important to note that this was not referring to classic "rain". The previously mentioned cities lie on a specific latitude which has torrential rainfall, the kind that floods roads, etc. This was moonson-style rain happens near the equator (it was remarkable early on how south America and africa were mostly spared, except for the aforementioned 2 cities)
Fast forward to india.
Would an early moonson season, together with a latent pool of virus already Within the populace, be the driving factor here?
[1] https://www.maurice.nl/2020/05/21/the-blind-spot-with-huge-c...
That was the claim. I dont have information that would point the motives behind any such action, besides pure speculation (govt request, genuine awkward attempt to help, etc)
That said, I don't think this alone is an explanation, since COVID is currently also tearing through Indian cities like Bangalore where air quality is better. (Not good, mind you, but nowhere near as bad.)
What a great description. It sounds like Terry Pratchett describing Ankh-Morpork.