Youth on a solo cycle rally across the country to raise awareness on river interlinking project

He plans to cover 733 districts in 28 States and eight Union Territories and would reach Delhi on June 9, 2025

A 26-year-old youth from Pollachi is on a 1,111-day mission to cover 31,500 km across the country on his bicycle to create awareness on river interlinking projects among the students and the public.

K. Muthuselvan, an MBA graduate, started the solo cycle ride from Pollachi on May 25, 2022 and covered Kerala, Puducherry and various parts of the State and reached Erode. Explaining his mission, Mr. Muthuselvan told The Hindu that except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, he plans to cover 733 districts in 28 States and eight Union Territories and would reach Delhi on June 9, 2025. “While flooding is a regular concern for many States, drought affects people and farming activities. Interlinking of rivers would control floods and encourage farming”, he said and added that his mission is to create awareness on the project.

He said that interlinking of rivers will help in increasing irrigation coverage by additional 15%, create 10,000 km of navigation, create 3,000 tourist spots, solve drinking water problems and also provide jobs to landless farmers in rural areas. During his journey, he meets school and college students, workers and the public and distributes pamphlets to them and seeks their written opinion. “I intend to collect written support from one crore people and submit the details to the Central government in New Delhi”, he said.

In a day, he covers 70 km in highways, 40 to 50 km in rural areas while 20 to 25 km in hill areas. He carries a tent, cooking gas, ingredients and other tools, all weighing 42 kg on his bicycle, and consumes nutrition, protein rich food and juices to keep him afresh and healthy. “Travelling conditions differ every day and on an average I ride for 10 hours”, he said.

After meeting college students in Erode on Monday, he is proceeding to Bengaluru and later to Goa.