Ride to Light tour flagged-off

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Jan 28: The ‘Ride to Light-2016’, North East India’s first full-fledged cycle tour was flagged off on the occasion of Republic Day from Tezu by the deputy commissioner of Lohit district.

Organized by Batti and supported by department of Tourism, the cycle tour aims at raising fund to reach out to remote areas for providing basic lighting facilities.

Batti is an initiative to provide basic lighting to remote settlements in North East India.

The initiative has already made its way to 248 homes, benefiting approximately 1200 people in Lower Dibang Valley district. The next focus of Batti is the Seppa valley in East Kameng district targeting to light up 1500 houses. All the funds raised from ‘Ride to Light -2016’ will go towards achieving this target.

‘Ride to Light’ uses a model similar to that of a ‘charity challenge’ in the hope of achieving its objectives. As per this set-up, participants are challenged on three fronts- 1) To raise fitness and riding expertise by training 2) To raise funds through persol networks, enough to light tribal homes and 3) To raise one’s own awareness of North East Indian cultures and communities.

Ride to Light-2016 commenced from the plains of Digaru in Lohit district and traverse towards the Eastern Himalayas passing through Mayudia, the highest peak over snow line in Lower Dibang Valley district and continue through almost unbroken line of jungle before concluding in the meadows and pine forests of Anini in Dibang Valley district on February 3 next.

The tour is considered appropriate for intermediate level riders. This trailblazing event will cover a distance of 300 kilometers spanning over nine days across three districts of eastern Aruchal Pradesh.

Altogether 11 cyclists are participating in the event which includes two from Britain, three from Aruchal, one each from Punjab, Assam and two from Tamil du and Kartaka each.