Cycling to create awareness on cleanliness

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission, a youth of Gurpura, in Mangaluru, has embarked on a mission to create awareness on cleanliness and sanitation, across the country on a gearless bicycle.

He started his mission on May 3 from New Delhi and has travelled across 14 states—Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, West Bengal, Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

He will reach his native Gurpura in Mangaluru soon. He visited Nepal and Bhutan as a part of his mission. From Mangaluru, he will pedal to Kerala and then to Tamil Nadu.

Shravan said: “Garbage is dumped in Gurpura. It needs to be disposed scientifically. It is not enough to promote Swaccha Bharath on social media. There is a need to create awareness on sanitation among the children. Cleanliness and sanitation should become part of our school curriculum.”

Shravan said: “When I appealed to shopkeepers not to dump waste in front of shops but keep a bin instead, they obliged. There was a good response from the public.”

Shravan added: “In Kashmir, miscreants tore the national flag and tied it to my cycle. They mocked me. But I continued my journey. Mangaluru City North MLA Dr Bharath Shetty and Siliguri Deepak Cycle owner gave me one cycle each,” he added.

While I was sleeping at Vijayawada railway station, miscreants stole my cycle. The police got my cycle back within a few hours. I spent my nights in school, colleges, bus stands and railway stations during my journey,” he narrated.

On his arrival at Gurpura, the BJP unit felicitated Shravan, his father Rajendra and mother Kalavathi.