A few years back, Kolkata boy Jyotishko Biswas set off to explore the pristine hills and cycled all the way to Arunachal Pradesh in just 19 days. But he returned worried about the ways in which people were throwing plastics, foods, garbage all over the place.
Since then, the 22-year-old boy wanted to raise awareness on pollution by taking up a trans-Himalayan solo-bicycle trip on a bicycle again. One, Jyotishko loves to travel in a bicycle and two, it does not cause pollution and is therefore a perfect mode of transport to spread his message.
According to recent reports, the lap of the Himalayas has been covered with plastic and polythene bags which are wrecking havoc on the ecosystem. Experts lament that trekkers and tourists express their love for their Himalayas but litter it with plastic bags, juice cans and wrappers.
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Experts feared this may cause major water bursts (glacial lake outburst flood – GLOF) and flood the entire downhill areas. Plastic wastage absorbs heat which raises the temperature in mountains coupled with global warming. But despite repeated appeals from the government and environmentalists – including ban on plastic – people continue to litter the mountains.
Biswas plans to arrange awareness campaigns on 4000-km journey to make people, especially tourists, understand the threats caused by plastic. He will tell them ways to curb plastic use and the importance of recycling. On his way, he will collect as much as plastic wastage as possible and dump them at designated places, along with planting seeds in different places.
He started his journey from Kolkata’s Rajdanga area on May 21 and is slated to finish the journey in September.
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