Swechha, a youth-run, youth-focused NGO operating from Delhi, India, engaged in the issues of environment and social development was started life as the ‘We for Yamuna’ campaign in 2000, launched by a student volunteer activist group. They have three cross-cutting focus areas which run throughout our varied programmes: environment and education, youth and civil society and active citizenship. On the 22nd of January 2012, the Yamuna Cyclothon, a Swechha initiative, gathered over 1,000 citizens, who cycled along the length of the river Yamuna to pledge their support to Delhi’s ailing river and reinforce their commitment to be environmentally conscious citizens.
The first thing that the Cyclothon does well is to put the “issue” front and center. The event is meant to highlight the sad state of the Yamuna River, which they describe as Delhi’s lifeline. By having cyclists literally travel along it, the event will draw immediate focus to the pollution plaguing the river and may also encourage more people to volunteer for the cause.
Instead of merely having the Cyclothon, the event’s organizers have been careful to build a series of events around the Cyclothon to attract and sustain interest. These range from flash mobs and smart mobs to presentations at schools and universities across the city – raising the profile and scope of the event. None of these “sub-events” would have been too difficult to organize, yet they lend tremendous credence by converting the image of the Cyclothon from an isolated event to a movement. You see, people merely attend events; but they want to become a part of a movement.
People turned up to do their bit for the river cycle marathon, probably the largest seen in Delhi in the recent past, wound its way across heavy traffic through Civil Lines and the Wazirabad Road before hitting the old Railway bridge. Cyclists took a U-turn from there and cycled back through the Ridge. "The cyclothon serves two purposes. First of all it is our endeavour to take people to the river and have them connect to this natural heritage. A substantial part of our 22km cycling stretch will be along the river, starting from Wazirabad to the Loha Pul. The second purpose of this project of course is to promote cycling among people, especially in a city like Delhi," added Jha. However, those who turned up definitely did not need any further motivation to cycle. Girish Gandhi, a businessman turned up with his son from Ashok Nagar because he "loves cycling " and wanted to do his bit for the Yamuna. "The government has done a lot for the river but unfortunately there are no results to prove that. If cycling draws attention to the plight of the river, I am more than happy cycling for it," he said. Arnav Agarwal, a 10-year-old who turned up accompanied by his equally enthusiastic father, said he loved cycling and was glad to be able to raise awareness about the river. "I love cycling and am hoping this morning will be a lot of fun," he beamed. Swechha reported that 350 people had officially registered for the rally but 100 volunteers, including foreign nationals who are working with the NGO and about 150 cycling club members joined in the cyclothon. Of the registered participants, 150 rode on bikes especially organized by Hero Cycles, co-organisers of the event.
References:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Braving-the-chill-for-a-cause-pedalling-to-save-lifeline/articleshow/11597305.cms
http://nvonews.com/2012/01/18/cycling-drive-for-clean-yamuna/
http://onionlive.com/2012/01/18/cyclothon-for-clean-yamuna/
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