Mumbai: In a powerful display of unity and awareness, a special cyclothon was held in Mumbai on Sunday as part of the ongoing 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Pandharwada' campaign, ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.
Organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in collaboration with Mumbai Police, the event saw enthusiastic participation from over 450 cyclists of all age groups and genders. The rally began at the Bandra Reclamation Bus Depot and concluded at Juhu Beach, aiming to raise public consciousness about the harmful effects of drug abuse and the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Nationwide Cyclothons Organised By NCB
The Mumbai event was part of a larger national initiative launched by the NCB, under which similar cyclothons and bike rallies were organised across various Indian cities yesterday. In New Delhi, the event was flagged off from the National Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri by NCB Director General Anurag Garg, who himself cycled alongside more than 1,000 participants.
The cyclists included Delhi Police personnel, CAPFs, Brahma Kumaris, Olympian Sarita Mor and various community groups. Addressing the crowd, Garg stated that the fight against drugs must extend beyond enforcement agencies and involve families, youth and institutions to build a truly drug-free nation.
The campaign found strong footing in other cities as well. In Chennai, a grand 40 km Bikeathon witnessed participation from over 1,500 cyclists, while Kolkata drew more than 300 riders from banks and public institutions. Ahmedabad’s rally was held at the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar with over 100 bikers taking part. Guwahati and Bengaluru saw impressive turnouts, with over 550 and 500 participants respectively.
Bengaluru's rally was supported by the Indian Air Force, CRPF, NCC and Karnataka Police, and was flagged off by Olympians Pramila and Sri Aiyappa. Visakhapatnam hosted a 30 km Cyclothon promoting drug awareness and community health, while Jammu’s 18–20 km rally saw the involvement of local biker groups and NCB staff.
Cyclothons Organised By Leading Banks
Other cities such as Raipur, Cochin, Siliguri and Lucknow also held awareness rides with active participation from NGOs, students, enforcement officials and citizens. In many locations, banks including Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank extended support to the campaign.
