Excelsior Correspondent
New Delhi, Sept 9: Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas flagged off the Indian Oil-sponsored Motorbike Expedition of Pathfinders to the Himalayas today in the presence of Verghese Cherian, Director (Human Resources), Indian Oil Corporation Limited. The theme for this year’s expedition is “Clean Himalayas”.
Addressing the gathering at the flag-off ceremony of the biker’s expedition, Mr Pradhan said, “I am very happy that the indomitable members of the Pathfinders are back again this year for another journey in their series of adventures on the tough Himalayan tracks. The theme this year is extremely apt as it is our duty to ensure cleanliness and spread awareness about the same in every part of the nation. The mountains are an integral part of our eco-system.”
Addressing the guests, Mr. Cherian, said the expedition being undertaken by the Pathfinders group has a vital role to play in the ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life of the citizens in Ladakh area.
The expedition aims to spread awareness about environment degradation in the Himalayas among the school children in the remote villages of Ladakh as well as to reach out to the under-privileged in these inaccessible and hilly areas. The bikers’ group will also undertake the ‘Clean Himalaya’ Campaign under the Government of India’s Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, to address the emerging threat to Ladakh’s fragile environment from increasing littering in the wake of a rising tide of visitors from all over the country and the world.
Over the years, Pathfinders has become a stakeholder in the development of the border regions in Ladakh, one of India’s most remote and ecologically fragile regions.
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