Cancel upcoming Airtel Delhi Half Marathon: Indian Medical Association to CM Arvind Kejriwal

In view of the alarming levels of air pollution in Delhi, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia requesting to cancel the upcoming Airtel Delhi Half Marathon scheduled for November 19.

The letter comes at a time when the national capital is facing high level of air pollution. Air pollution is responsible for around 10,000 to 30,000 deaths in the national capital every year, the CSE had said in a report last year.

"The air quality is particularly poor in the early morning when pollution is extremely high. This is also the time when the proposed Half Marathon is scheduled to start. The hazardous pollution levels may have disastrous health consequences, even for the healthy participants," wrote Dr KK Aggarwal, IMA President in the letter.

In the last couple of days, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi has ranged from 'very unhealthy' to 'hazardous'. The levels have crossed the 300 'danger' mark in several parts of the city.

"It can trigger off an asthma attack and worsen lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can also increase the risk of acute fatal or non fatal cardiovascular events such as heart attack," said Dr RN Tandon, Secretary General of the association.

Even, doctors in the capital have witnessed a spike in the numbers of cases of respiratory illness by 20 per cent. Cases of viral infection, cough, sneezing, respiratory tract infection and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have gone up.

However, the organisers of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon had said on Saturday that the call for cancellation of the November 19 run is "shortsighted" and asserted they have support of international athletes despite the prevailing pollution in the city.