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[VIDEO] NGO defiant after 6,000 underprivileged children made to race in Delhi's toxic air

New Delhi: The lives of as many as 6,000 underprivileged children on Children's Day were risked as they were asked to run a marathon in the capital of India. Several advisories issued stated that one must stay indoors to avoid being a victim of Delhi's air pollution but the same seems to have been ignored by an NGO named Prayas. 

On November 14, 6,000 children ran on the roads of Delhi even as thick smog engulfed the Delhi-NCR areas. Called the 'Run for Unity', the marathon was conducted even as the schools in Delhi-NCR were ordered to be shut. 

Instead of ensuring that the children are not subjected to the poor air quality of Delhi, the NGO conducted the run. According to the NGO, they did not have enough time to reschedule the run but they cut the route short to ensure that the run finished earlier than normal. Amod Kanth, general secretary of Prayas defended the NGO's decision and said that the children have been participating in the run for the last nine years. 

At around 7.00 am on Friday, the AQI of Delhi was 482, the numbers worsened as the AQI at around 1.00 pm was recorded as 552. The residents of the national capital have been struggling to breathe in clean air for the last few weeks. Due to stubble burning and vehicular emissions, the quality of air has been on a decline in Delhi. 

While on one side, underprivileged children were forced to run on the streets and risk their lives, the children studying at Inventure Academy wrote to the Prime Minister about air pollution in the national capital. 

The students penned letters addressed o the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to take measures to control air pollution. One of the students said that he used to enjoy playing soccer outside but now, he is forced to watch the sport on television as it is not safe to breathe outside. Another student said that he hoped that the government would take strict action to ensure that air pollution is curbed in Delhi-NCR. 

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