Braving the chill, for a cause pedalling to save lifeline (Times of India 23 January 2012)

Dot at 7am on a chilly Sunday, St Stephen's College was abuzz with activity. However, most of the over 600 people who had gathered there with their bicycles were not students. Several foreign nationals, members of Delhi's cycling clubs, nature enthusiasts, schoolchildren, foodies and teachers had gathered for a 22-km cyclothon that had been organized to raise awareness about the River Yamuna.
A large part of the cycle rally route ran along the river and many participants had their first encounter with the river at Wazirabad, a point when it is still not completely sullied by the city's filth.
"The Yamuna is a dead river, its waters immensely polluted. The Yamuna Cyclothon is an attempt to highlight the changes it undergoes through its journey across the capital. It is important for Delhiites to take responsibility for the state the Yamuna is in right now," said Vimlendu Jha, co-founder of Swechha, We for Yamuna which organized the cycle rally to track the river's conversion from a relatively clean flow of water to a narrow stream of sewage.
Cause-worthy
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.