Youths on biking expedition to save Gujarat’s marine life

To protect marine life along the coastal belt of the state from pollution, youths from Rajkot and other districts have come up with the unique idea of a biking expedition and tour. A first of its kind, the expedition starting on January 26 and ending in south Gujarat on January 31 will cover 2,100km.

One hundred and one youths on bikes will join the tour on the way, from Lakhpat in Kutch district to Umargam of Valsad.
The group aims to create a record by completing the expedition in six days. The youths will distribute pamphlets to spread awareness about the importance of saving marine life from pollution.

"We have decided on the adventurous tour to educate people about how to protect our country's coastal belt," said Bharatsinh Parmar, president of Rajkot-based club Sky High Adventure Club (SHAC). The club is not only involved in cycling and biking expeditions, but also in trekking trips to different parts of the country.

Parmar added, "The state government is promoting tourism, but we pity the state of our islands which are quickly losing their appeal.

The expedition aims at spreading knowledge about various ways of preserving marine life and encouraging school and college students of the state's districts."

Parmar added: "The coastal ecosystems are becoming unbalanced and are threatened by various problems like climate change, pollution, erosion, flooding and the ever expanding human settlements. Thus we want to save our ecosystems from further damage."