This Sunday let us ride our cycles for a cause. There is a small stretch of the forest right in the heart of our city called Bharat Van. It is situated between Futala and Ravi Nagar. The forest has remained lush green through the intense summer we are facing. It is home to many birds such as paradise flycatchers, parakeets and peacocks, and hosts mango groves and guava plantations! Unfortunately, the authorities plan to cut down the forest and build a road through it. This jungle needs to be conserved for the greater good of our city.
Explaining the reason behind this cycle ride, Aniruddha Ncyclopedia and Rohit Tokhi of cycle club “Saddle up Guys” said, “This cycle ride is not just to socialise. We want the public to raise questions about the environment and find out ways to reduce global warming. Tree cutting in Bharat Van is definitely not the solution to reverse climate change”.
Agrees Anand Kasture, a well-known raw explorer and long-distance cyclist of Nagpur who commutes every day to office on his cycle, “Bicycle commuting to work is my way of letting all my worries go, all my work-related stress is gone by the time I get home from work and my mind is always clear by the time I get to work.”
Dr. Louis George, an orthopedic surgeon, and explorer say, “We are aware that the green cover is diminishing every day. We also understand the consequences of global warming and melting ice caps! I definitely don’t want another ice age while I am alive. I am doing my bit to save nature.”
Ankit Arora who has covered 15 states in 655 days and counting, on a cycling ride covering the whole country recently visited Bharat Van while passing through Nagpur. He says, “Cutting trees is just a short-term economic benefit. But nature is the only thing which is keeping all of us alive and we’re destroying the same thing knowingly. So, act accordingly.”
Dr. Rupali Patil, ENT surgeon who is cycling for the last 2 years only for her fitness feels that the time has come when she would start cycling for spreading the awareness for the noble cause of saving our planet. She says, “There are hardly any urban forests left and we need to save Bharat van by making citizens at large aware of the imminent dangers of cutting forests under the pretext of so-called development. I urge you all to join us to stop this destruction and save for our next generation otherwise the next generation will definitely curse us.”
Samarth Gandhi, the dynamic hotelier of Punjabi Tadka regularly cycles for a good muscle workout. Cycling uses all of the major muscle groups as you pedal. He says that Cycling is good for strength, stamina, and aerobic fitness.
Bharat Van, the green lungs of Nagpur city is threatened because of a proposed road that is being built by the illogical town planners of Nagpur who seem to be dancing to the instructions of invisible land sharks with fountainhead aspirations.
Dr. Jaydeep Das, honorary wildlife warden of Nagpur informed that this cycle ride is being organised to let the administration known that nature and fitness loving cyclists of Nagpur are standing united with the residents of Bharat Nagar in strongly opposing the cutting of even a single tree in Bharat Van. The ride will be flagged off from Ladies Club Square at 5.45am sharp by a common iconic Nagpurkar who cycles daily to work.
Instruction for cycle ride to create awareness about Bharat Van
- 1) Assemble at Ladies Club Square at 5.45am and take the Japanese Garden-Futala route to enter Bharat Van between Ravi Nagar and University Campus squares.
- 2) The ride starts from Ladies Club square at 6 am.
- 3) Bikes will be parked at the Bharat Van gate and the 3-km trail inside will be explored on foot.
- 4) It will take 30-35 minutes to cover the trail.
- 5) Riders are requested to wear neutral earth colours as far as possible.
- 6) After the ride, the post-ride meet is at Preeti Corner, Shankar Nagar.
- 7) All participants are requested to upload the ride photographs to social media using the hashtags #savebharatvan #savefutala #saveurbanjungles #saddleup4bharatvan
- 8) Nagpur citizen are encouraged to join this cycle ride in large numbers.
Cycling, according to the World Health Organisation, is a highly suitable activity for improving health. The cyclists dream of a future Nagpur which is clean, green, cool and conducive to cycling.
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