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‘Theater of the absurd’: Delhi kids run mini marathon as city drowns in toxic smog (PHOTOS)
Delhi residents are incensed that children were allowed to run in a mini marathon as the city continues to choke on toxic smog which forced schools to close on Thursday and Friday.
Roughly 1,000 kids participated in the ‘Run for Children’ marathon, which took place on the morning of November 14, despite the Air Quality Index reaching over 500 in at least five city boroughs, indicating extreme respiratory risks to the general public.
The event was organized by the children’s NGO Prayas to celebrate Children’s Day and to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
India’s anti-pollution authority ordered the closure of schools across the greater Delhi metropolitan area while the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) warned people against working outdoors for prolonged periods and urged them to try to work from home.
“Run for Children… in severe pollution? Theater of the absurd,” said Shashank Jaitely, a Twitter user, in response to the event.
Doctors in AIIMS are advising to put a halt on morning Walks and Exercises outside. Delhi kids doesn't have the Lungs of Iron. What a pity.
— Dev
