With each passing day, the air quality of the national capital and its adjoining areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida continues to deteriorate making it tough for the residents, especially children, to go outdoors. But though the air quality slipped into the severe category, children in Delhi were made to run a marathon to celebrate Children's Day.
On the occasion of Children’s Day – Jawahar Lal Nehru’s birth anniversary – some schoolchildren in New Delhi were made to participate in a “Run for Children” event – while the city remained covered in a thick layer of smog.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe', while the AQI above 500 falls in the severe plus category. On Wednesday, the noxious smog resulting from raging farm fires and unfavourable weather had pushed pollution in Delhi-NCR towards the "emergency" zone, prompting authorities to order closure of schools till November 15 -- a second time in two weeks.
The event invited sharp reactions from social media users:
