Chandigarh student pedalling from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari for a greener future

With a target of covering a distance of4,000 kilometers in 50 days on bicycle from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari, Chandigarh student Pankaj Mahla is on a mission to inspire people to install solar plants.

With a target of covering 4,000 kilometers in 50 days on bicycle from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari, Chandigarh student Pankaj Mahla is on a mission to inspire people to install solar plants.

The 20-year-old Punjab Engineering College student dreams of making an impact on the environment by getting 4,000 solar plants installed on this mission. “As I am pedaling 4,000 kms, I intend to enter at least 4,000 homes en route and convince the families to get solar panels installed. I will tell them, if they all do so, it will amount to growing 8,000 trees and prevent 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere,” he says.

A personal health crisis prompted him to undertake this expedition, he says. On July 5 last year, Pankaj contracted a respiratory infection. “I was having a severe bout of coughing and suddenly could not breathe. It scared me to death. When I recovered, I felt I got a second life; and had this strong urge to do something meaningful for people and the planet,” says Pankaj.

The desire to contribute to society and the environment has always been strong in the third year Electronics and Communication Engineering student. As a member of the Solar Energy Society of India in his college, he decided to do something on a large scale and take the message of solar energy to the people.

“I have been planning meticulously, training daily in running and cycling with my father and brother encouraging me,” he says. Six months ago after he moved to Bengaluru for his internship, he finalised his route and decided to start his journey

He started on May 30 from Khunmoh in Srinagar and has now reached Telengana. He cycles 120 kms a day and plans to cover 33 cities during his journey. He shares updates about his journey on his Instagram handle (pankajmahla_) where he uploads his reels documenting his daily routine on his initiative named “Solaride.”

Before setting off Pankaj made a small video on Instagram about his bicycle expedition to decrease carbon footprints. The video caught the attention of some Army officials across the country. “They were kind enough to arrange my stay in various army units across cities including Banihal, Udhampur, Pathankot, Agra, Jhansi, and asked me to talk to soldiers about solar energy.