Dehradun, a city known for green hedges and grey hair, today has become synonymous with dirt, dust and pollution. Though the State Government along with various NGOs are doing their bit, a lot remains to be accomplished.
Stories of individual efforts are becoming success stories overnight, and adding to the long list is Vijay Pratap of Adventhrill. A group of cycling enthusiasts under Vijay Pratap recently completed a 120 km cycling expedition from Dehradun to Etharna village via Thano-Bhogpur. The group consisted of Anil Mohan, Sanjay Parashar, Alok Chettri, Pushpendra Panwar, Apurv Saklani, Himanshu, Vivek, Harish who started from Clock Tower at 5:00 am and reached their destination four hours later.
From young students to retired citizens, full of zeal and excitement rode their cycles. The group hoisted the Indian Flag as a token of thanks to the security forces. After a short snack-break, they made their way back to the capital.
Vijay took up riding a few months ago to spread the message of emission free adventure and has been at it since then. This was his 24th ride and he has successfully completed 900km in just under 3 months.
Vijay tells us, “When I started cycling I witnessed a steady rise in the number of riders and what is heartening to see is students cycling to their respective campuses early morning.” He adds, “when I ask young students about cycling they tell me that instead of our parents are paying a huge sum for our transportation, why not just buy a good cycle and commute to college as well as keep fit.”
Inspiring many, if your route to work or college takes you cycling even on ill-maintained roads, with kerbs and potholes alongside fast moving traffic, fret not! There will be moments of simple pleasure, as you too will be doing your bit by being healthy and keeping the environ pollution free.
