Maha: 21-year-old woman aims to create environment awareness with cycling mission

A21-year-old woman from Yavatmal in Maharashtra recently flagged off the third phase of her plan to cycle through the districts of the state to create awareness about the environment.

Speaking on Saturday, Pranali Chitke of Punvat village, some 380 kilometers from here, said she had been cycling since October last year and had so far covered almost 12,000 kilometers across 26 districts of Maharashtra.

''The aim is to create awareness about global warming, climate change, rise in temperatures, and its lasting effect on life. I am from a family of farmers and realize how all this affects our agriculture sector and the people involved in it. Through this initiative, I also want to encourage people to cycle and reduce pollutants in the air,'' she said.

Among the districts, she has covered so far are Yavatmal, Nagpur, Nashik, Thane, Raigad, Kolhapur, Pune, Aurangabad, Jalna, and Beed.