SIVASAGAR: An online awareness programme on cycling on the occasion of World Bicycle Day was organized by IQAC and the departments of Botany, Commerce, Economics and English of Gargaon College on Saturday.
The programme moderated by Debajani Bakalial, Assistant Professor of the Department of Assamese was inaugurated by noted academician, columnist and Principal of Gargaon College, Dr Sabyasachi Mahanta. In his inaugural speech, Dr Mahanta highlighted the role of bicycle - from being a nondescript invention to become an inextricable part of our life. He illuminated how, taking into consideration the environment concerns such as global warming and consequent climate change, the United Nations (UN) as part of its sustainable development goals, decided to declare June 3 as World Bicycle Day in 2018. Pointing to the increased urgency of safeguarding one’s health and environment, he illustrated how bicycling has occupied a renewed focus in western countries particularly in campuses of renowned universities. Further, he commended the effort of the organizers for taking an initiative to promote fitness and sustainability by organising the awareness programme.
One of the resource persons for the webinar, Dr Saheen Shehnaz Begum, Assistant Professor in the department of Chemistry, spoke on the topic ‘200 Years of Bicycling’ wherein she traced the history of the bicycle along with the significance of the World Bicycle Day. She explained how cycling is a pathway for achieving greater health equity and for reducing emissions originating from population growth. Citing instances of promotion of bicycles in institutions around the world such as Stanford University, Harvard, among others, she explicated the convenience and efficiency, health, economic and social benefits of cycling. She concluded her presentation by putting forward some feasible solutions to increase the use of bicycles and making cycling a habit in the college campus.
Present on the occasion, the second resource person, Harekrishna Mili, Assistant Professor in the department of Mathematics spoke on the topic ‘Benefits of Cycling: An Economic, Environmental and Social Assessment’. Beginning on a subjective note, he described the use of bicycles through the different generations based on an urban-rural divide. Showing how there has been a very slow growth in bicycle ownership and a decline in the use of bicycles for mobility in India, he went on to present a statistical analysis of work trips in India. He further spoke on the benefits of cycling in the form of zero dependence on fossil fuels, zero emissions and pollution, health benefits from increased physical activity, besides being an affordable means of mobility for low-income households.
Dr Jitu Saikia, Assistant Professor of the department of English, and Dr Surajit Saikia, IQAC Coordinator, too brought forward several suggestions to prop up cycling in the college campus as well as in one’s day-to-day life.
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