It was a mission for a good cause. Three youngsters, kicked off a 400 kilometre expedition on roller skates from Jogipet in Medak district in Telangana to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh three days ago. The expedition concluded here on Monday.
The mission was aimed at creating awareness on protecting environment from vehicular pollution.
Mallapuram Rahul (21), Gonthini Saibabu (17) and Sautakari Srinath (17) hailing from Hyderabad, Warangal and Visakhapatnam respectively, set out on the expedition at the Government Polytechnic College in Jogipet and successfully accomplished it in spite of intermittent rains. Carrying clothes in backpacks, they covered over 150 kms everyday and halted at night either at government offices or friends’ houses.
They would resume their journey before the dawn with their music players loaded with Telugu, Hindi and English songs to avoid getting bored. “We used the white line on the borders of highways for skating as it is not only safe but also smooth and comfortable,” says Mr. Rahul, a student doing third-year diploma in mechanical engineering.
Mr. Rahul conceptualised the idea and informed his college-mates Saibabu and Srinath who immediately accepted it. Saibabu and Srinath underwent training before starting their trip. After taking permission from the college, the trio commenced their journey three days ago and concluded it on Monday which coincided with the World Nature’s Conservation Day.
They carried dry fruits and other drinks with them to get energy for skating. While coming to Vijayawada, they stopped at Old Bowenpally, Narketpally and Nandigama and interacted with people to stress the need for making earth free from pollution.
“We had darshan of goddess Kanaka Durga atop Indrakelaadri and completed the expedition. It’s really a good experience for us. We succeeded in spreading awareness among people about the ill-effects of pollution,” explains Mr. Rahul.
In January last, Mr. Rahul completed an expedition from Hyderabad to Sabarimala with a similar cause.
