The cycling expedition of Indian Navy in higher reaches of Garhwal Himalayas is evoking good response among the local population.
Apart from creating new routes for adventure tourism and promote home stay scheme the expedition also aims to inform local youths about employment opportunities the Indian Navy offers to them.
The expedition was flagged off by the Commandant of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Auli GS Chauhan at Auli on October 25. The cycling team consisting of Commander Guru Pratap Singh, Commader Rahul Mehta, Commander Anil Mukkandan, Sergeant Commander Santosh Kumar Sahu, lieutenant PS Parmar and lt K P Singh, K Sharma, Anoop Sharma, Navneet Singh, SB Mallape, Jogendra and P Upadhyaya. The cyclsists have so far travelled to Auli and Gopeshwar (Both Chamoli district), Chopta, Makku matth, Duggalbita, Mohankhal, Bhanaj, Tilwara, Jakholi (all Rudraprayag district) and Tehri. On November 1, the expedition would culminate at Dehradun when the cyclists would pedal down from New Tehri, Ranichauri, Kaddukhal, Sattyu and Dhaulagri (In Tehri district) to the provisional state capital.
The tour coordinator of the expedition, Manjul Rawat told The Pioneer that the expedition is evoking a very good response among the people especially youngsters. He said that arrangements for interaction of the members of the expedition were made at some Government Inter Colleges enroute where the officers of Navy informed about the huge employment oppourtunities the Indian Navy offers. The Kedarnath MlA, Manoj Rawat who played a major role in organizing the expedition said that the area holds a big potential for winter sports and one of the objective of the event was to create new circuits for Mountain Terrain Bike (MTB) cycling for adventure lovers. He said that another aim of the expedition was to promote home stay scheme under which tourists stay at homes of local people. Rawat himself participated in the expedition on October 26 and 27. He said that he has purchased a dozen MTB cycles and made them available to local Yuvak Mangal Dals. Rawat added that local youths can earn money by lending these bikes on rent to adventure tourists.
