Greenpeace India aims to empower women labourers, reduce pollution with bicycles

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Avinash Kumar Chanchal, campaign manager, Greenpeace India, said: “A 2018 TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) report found that 50 per cent of Indians walk or cycle to work. In urban areas, workers are mostly dependent on motorised two-wheelers. This means that with the right infrastructure, India can save nearly Rs 27 billion in fuel and Rs 241 billion due to reduced air pollution. If 50 per cent of motorised two-wheeler and four-wheeler trips are substituted by cycle journeys for short distances, the annual benefit is estimated to be Rs 1.8 trillion.”

“Vehicular emissions are one of the major contributors to air pollution in Bengaluru. It accounts for 30-40 per cent of the total air pollution of the city. In our recent report on air pollution in cities in southern India, we observed that the annual average PM2.5 and PM10 levels significantly exceeded WHO’s air quality standards. With the population in these cities only expected to grow, we are looking at a much greater disaster in the coming years if we do not adopt corrective measures now,” he added.

The Kempegowda tower at Hudson circle in Bengaluru

“There is an urgent need to invest and build non-motorised transport (NMT) friendly infrastructure to encourage more people to cycle. The government must systematically reorganise the city infrastructure to include additional cycle lanes through a careful reallocation of public space,” he said.

The Kempegowda tower at Hudson circle in Bengaluru was recently lit up with a message ‘Cycle for Climate’. The NGO wants to send the message that a cycle revolution in the cities will make the streets cleaner, safer and more accessible to all. In 2019, Bengaluru had over 80 lakh registered vehicles, the second-highest in the country of which nearly 90 percent of the registered vehicles were private bikes and cars.

Greenpeace India, in a statement, said that the projection image at the tower is also a celebration of the cyclist community of India’s urban spaces who have been fighting air pollution silently.

Sathya Sankaran, bicycle mayor of Bengaluru, said though there is a focus on high pollution levels in the national capital, the truth is that most of the Indian cities were heavily polluted.

“Bengaluru is one of the most congested and polluted cities in the world. The only way out is to focus on cycling, walking and public transport. We need to reduce motorised vehicles on our streets. The bicycle is the most resilient tool to solve urban problems of congestion and pollution. Microclimate problems in Bengaluru are also aggravating with heat islands and more. We need to reduce our energy consumption right away. A recent CSTEP study says that nearly 68 per cent of PM10 emissions in the city come from the transport sector. This is due to the personal choices of each and every one of us. So we can make better choices right away and reduce carbon emissions,” he added.

Mangala Gowri, cyclist and labourer at a garment factory in Bengaluru, said: “I used to walk for half an hour to get to work every morning, but now I take half the time. I have to work all through the day, so saving that 15 minutes lets me rest and eat breakfast. I did not have that luxury previously. I am a garment factory worker and I have to sit and work for eight continuous hours. But when I get to cycle after that I feel better. But it is scary to ride on the road when there is heavy traffic. The road is mainly occupied by bikes and cars. Our horn is not loud enough so I am scared that I might meet with an accident.”