With pollution control the buzzword, Noida residents are not just doing their bit for it but are also paddling their way to health. And how! All you have to do is to ask Sudhiranjan Biswal, an HR professional. Ever since this diabetic patient took up cycling, his blood sugar level is under control. Not just that, he is also able to enjoy his favourite sweets.
"I cycle my way to office daily and also take part in cycling trips. I am so much more fitter. Everyone should join in," Biswal urges.
Biswal, of course, is a part of Noida Cycling Club, brainchild of Aman Puri, a cycling enthusiast from Noida who got together with few of his buddies from Greater Noida to form the club back in 2011. ''The monotonous office-home-office routine makes life tedious. It isn't not good for health. That's why we went ahead to form a cycling club. Peddling creates different movements in our body which is good for fitness,'' Puri said during a recent cyclothone where 60 club members participated.
No wonder, within short span of time, the club has grown rapidly with as many as 2,600 members now. And they include homemakers, senior citizens, teenagers, professional and corporate CEOs.
Every weekend, members go on long rides urging residents along the way to come out and paddle. Starting at Great India Place in Sector 38, each time the ride is scheduled for a new destination.
Open to everyone with a bicycle and yes, the all important helmet, the members are now going a step ahead to sensitise the masses on several issues like road safety, pollution control and encouraging people to opt for green mode of transport. In fact, thanks to their efforts, already quite a few Noida residents are cycling their way to and from their workplaces. But as Biswal, the club's ride co-ordinator, warns, “Be careful while passing through the main roads of Noida. And don't forget your helmet."
