Cycle yatra for river Yamuna awareness

In order to bring back the focus and the attention to the polluted Yamuna river in the national capital, 53-year-old Pramod Kumar Katara began his “cycle yatra” on Wednesday.

He began the yatra from Taj Mahal, Agra, and aimed at finishing it at the India Gate in Delhi by evening. “This time it is not just for a record but to draw the attention of the government to the polluted Yamuna. If the Taj is to be protected for posterity, Yamuna will have to be saved too,” Katara said.

The record for long distance cycling with the national tricolour is for the Limca Book of Records, he added.

“Already I have 21 records in my name, from Swiss ball balancing to yoga, but this one is going to be special for Yamuna,” the 53-year-old said.

Katara said he hoped to reach India Gate, a World War I monument in the heart of Delhi, by Wednesday evening via the Yamuna Expressway, covering the distance in around 12 hours. Members of the River Connect Campaign gathered at the Mehtab Bagh to cheer Katara.

On July 26, the National Green Tribunal had formed a monitoring committee on the cleaning of the Yamuna and had directed it to submit an action plan on the issue.