Marathon for kids in soaring air pollution levels draws flak in Delhi

NEW DELHI: On a day the city continued to be in the grip of a thick layer of smog and schools stayed closed on account of the soaring air pollution levels in the national capital, more than 3,500 children took part in a marathon organised on the occasion of Children’s Day. 

The event, ‘Run for Children’, was organised jointly at Nehru Park by morning walkers and NGOs led by Prayas, also a non-profit body.

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Delhi: A 'Run for Children' was flagged off in the national capital earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/TzdGNt92HA

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2019

The organisers claimed they had permission from both the Centre and the Delhi government for holding the event and weren’t aware of the circular asking schools to stay shut and children to stay indoors, to the extent possible.

Amodh Kanth, the founder of Prayas, said the marathon is an annual event for the benefit of unprivileged children, who turned up in big numbers at Vinay Marg at 6.30 in the morning.

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“This day is like Republic Day or Independence Day for these children. It holds a lot of importance for children, who have been forced into labour or are homeless. They practice for a month for this run and look forward to it with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement,” Kanth said, adding around 100 volunteers, including eminent personalities, hold the event at every year.

Despite repeated calls and messages, the media adviser to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal couldn’t be reached for a comment in the matter.