The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed the Airtel half-marathon to be held as scheduled on November 19, dismissing a plea by the Indian Medical Association to postpone the event due to the pollution in the national Capital, Bar & Bench reported.
The court gave the go-ahead to the event after the organisers, Procam International, said they were well-equipped to handle any medical emergency occurring due to the pollution. The organisers said they would set up two medical camps at the event, with 75 doctors, 100 nurses and 50 physiotherapists. Procam International added that it would install 12 water stations and make one lakh mineral water bottles available for the participants.
“We are going to wash the entire route with salt mixed with effluent-treated water to absorb particulate matter,” Procam Joint Managing Director Vivek Singh told reporters in Delhi, the Hindustan Times said.
The organisers also told the court they would refund any participant who wishes to withdraw from the marathon. The race route will be closed to traffic from at least 10 hours before the start of the event.
Delhi and several parts of North India have been covered in a toxic smog since November 7, leaving the governments of the National Capital Region scrambling to bring in measures in the eleventh hour to bring down pollution levels. This had happened in 2016 as well.
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