In a bid to educate rural people about COVID-19 and its prevention protocols, two mountaineers have undertaken a cycle journey to Purulia’s Ayodhya Hills.

Previously, Satyarup Siddhanta and Rudrapasrad Haldar together scaled the Everest in 2016. Currently amid the pandemic, the duo, along with colleagues Soumyadeep Mandal and Avik Mandal, two rock climbers, began their cycle rally from Sonarpur in the wee hours of Saturday, reported The Times Of India.

As part of the Covid Care Network’s (CCN) initiative, the four will cover a distance of 750 km to and fro, to educate citizens in the districts on the responsibilities they have to take to contain the spread of COVID-19.

‘Look at districts like Purulia that were in green zone earlier with only a handful of positive cases. But they have been witnessing a rise in cases now. So, we aim to sensitise people there on the preventive roles that they can play individually and contribute to containing the spread of this virus,’ Siddhanta was quoted as saying by the media.

On Saturday, September 27, the team’s first stop was at Lodhashol, a village in Jhargram, where they stopped and a crowded local market place, where no one was wearing masks.

‘Why none of you are wearing masks? May be you have strong immunity because of the kind of physical labour you endure every day. But what if you are an asymptomatic carrier and you have elderly members in the family? Please make it a habit to wear a mask in public places,’ Siddhanta urged the public.

On day one, the team covered 202 Km and on Sunday, headed to Ayodhya Hills via Belpaharai, Jhilimili, Bandwan and Bagmund. The mountaineers will return via Burdwan to reach Sonarpur by Wednesday.

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