Nongpoh:
A 35-year-old cyclist, who has pledged to travel to all the 29 states of India to spread awareness about forest and water conservation, reached Shillong on Thursday after pedaling for a month and 9 days.
Biswas, who hails from West Bengal, flagged off his journey on January 23. “My vision is ‘ped bachao paanee bachao’ (save trees, save water). If we don’t conserve the trees, from where will we get oxygen? And if we don’t take care of our water bodies, it will be difficult to sustain life on earth. Until and unless I realise my vision, I will not go back home,” he said.
Till date, Biswas has travelled through Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam before reaching Meghalaya. He said he would next travel to Tripura and thereafter, to the other Northeastern states. “I will also travel to Uttrakhand and Ladakh,” he said, adding that he will end his journey in his home state after covering Odisha.
Biswas informed that he is having no problems as far as food and lodging en route is concerned. “I am carrying my own cooking utensils as I don’t like to eat in the hotels or dhabas. I don’t even have much money to spend as I am on a shoestring budget. All I want is to spread the message about the importance of forest and water conservation in my own unique way,” he said, adding that, for lodging, he usually spends nights in police stations, temples and churches.