With a view to creating awareness about benefits of pollution-free environment among schoolchildren, Anil Kumar M (25), a postgraduate in Life Sciences (Microbiology), from Bangalore University began a 60-day travel on bicycle from the City to New Delhi on Sunday.
The programme, organised by Indian Youth Climate Network and supported by Ride a Cycle Foundation (RACF), was flagged off by Shantinagar MLA N.A. Harris here from Kanteerava Stadium.
Mr. Harris appreciated Mr. Anil Kumar for having taken the task to create awareness among school children through cycling by covering 8,000 km.
Earlier, speaking to The Hindu , about the programme, Mr. Anil said that during his travel, he would speak to over 25,000 schoolchildren and motivate them on environmental issues and call upon them to plant trees. He will also stress the need for using bicycles.
Mr. Anil said that one of the major causes of global warming was the increased concentration of carbon dioxide as a result of burning of fossils for transportation and energy. He stressed the importance of using cycling which would bring down the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere.
During his travel Mr. Anil will cover important cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Ahemedabad, Chandigarh, Kanyakumari, Kozhikode, Chandigarh, Panaji, Hyderabad and Mangalore before returning to Bangalore.
Mr. Anil told that he had already covered over 1,150 kms visiting Chennai, Coimbatore from Bangalore as part of his expedition, and had motivated 2,000 children to use cycles. Mr. Sridhar P of RACF stressed the need for separate cycle lanes in the city.
