HC gives go ahead for Delhi marathon on Nov 19 despite poor air quality

The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to postpone the Delhi Half Marathon in the national capital on November 19 after its organisers said participants could opt out with a full refund of their money if they did not want to run in view of air pollution.

Procam International, promoter of the event, told a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva that measures have been put in place to ensure that the participants were provided with a "conducive environment" to run.

Starting from 12 am on November 19, the entire course would be washed with treated water mixed with salt and thereafter there would be intermittent spraying of water on the route from 2 am to 10 am, it said.

The event has various categories with different timings.

The event promoter said potential dust hot spots would be twice doused with water prior to the start of the marathon.

Apart from that, around 150 mist fans would be deployed at varying heights at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the holding area for the participants, and from 2 am to 11 am the roads designated for the event would be blocked, it said.

Procam, represented by senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, also told the bench that elaborate medical facilities, comprising six medical stations, seven ambulances, 75 doctors, 50 physiotherapists and over 100 nurses, and 12 water stations have been put in place for the benefit of the participants.

It also said that despite all these preparations, if any participant wished not to run, he or she could opt out and their participation fee would be refunded.

Taking note of the preparations made by the promoter and organiser of the event, the court said no orders were called for.

The submissions were made before the bench in response to a letter written to the high court by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) seeking postponing of the marathon on the ground of poor and unsafe air quality in the national capital.

The letter was moved in the main PIL initiated by the high court to address air pollution problems of Delhi and in which it has been issuing directions from time to time.