Indian woman becomes the fastest Asian to cycle the globe
Mumbai, Dec 23 (PTI) In an incredible feat for any Indian, 20-year-old Pune woman Vedangi Kulkarni has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe.
Vedangi, who hails from a suburb of Pune, cycled into Kolkata in the wee hours of Sunday, completing the 29,000 km distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.
She started off from Perth in July and will now be flying back to the Australian city to complete the record.
Talking to PTI over the phone, Vedangi said the 159 days spent peddling up to 300 km a day in 14 countries has shown her the "best and worst" of both herself and also the world.
Her father Vivek Kulkarni said very few people undertake this gruelling campaign and his daughter has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe.
British adventurer Jenny Graham (38) is the fastest woman to have cycled the globe in 124 days in 2018, which was three weeks faster than the previous record.
Elements, both human and natural, tested the Indian cyclist. This included being chased by a Grizzly bear in Canada or camping alone for multiple nights in the snow in Russia or being robbed at a knife-point in Spain.
There were troubles on securing the necessary visas as well, which cost her time. The visa process led to a delayed departure and consequently facing weather hostilities in Europe where winter had started setting in.
Vedangi, a student of the University of Bournemouth in the UK pursuing a degree in sports management, said preparations for the ride began about two years ago with long cycle rises, getting the equipment including a specially crafted cycle and planning the route and time window.
She did not have anyone accompanying her for over 80 per cent of the route, and lugged the cycle with the heavy luggage that includes cycle tools, camping equipment and clothing in desolate stretches all alone.
The ride was funded majorly by her parents.
Starting off from Perth, she cycled across Australia, through the outback, to reach Brisbane from where she flew over to Wellington, New Zealand, for doing the entire country north to south.
A short flight took her across the international dateline to Western Canada's Vancouver, from where she continued her eastward journey till Halifax, a port city.
Europe beckoned next and she chose the chilly Iceland to start it all up and later cycled through Portugal, Spain France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland to enter Russia.
From Russia, she flew to India for doing the last 4,000 km.
She encountered temperatures ranging from -20 degree Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius during the ride.
Vedangi credited her parents as pillars of strength who ensured she pulls off this ride and enters record books.
"My parents have done a great job in giving a 19-year- old (she turned 20 on the ride) all the required mental support and encouragement to explore the world, standing strong when the going got tough, always being on the other end of the phone and at not letting the curiosity die out due to ill experiences even though the parental instincts told them otherwise," she said.
Her father Vivek Kulkarni said, "It's her dedication and will power to achieve her dream which ensured the success and I am sure there are many more to come."
Vedangi, who entered the City of Joy in the wee hours, will be taking the earliest flight out to reach Perth and cycle a 15km distance to reach the same place from where she started her journey.
"I feel privileged being so close to the finish line with my parents by the side. We all can do better with a little more support from our own people. We all need someone who wont let that curiosity die!" said a beaming Vedangi.
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SC calls PIL on packaged drinking water standards ‘luxury litigation’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought enforcement of international-quality standards for packaged drinking water in India, calling it an example of “luxury litigation” in a country where a large populace lacks access to basic drinking water.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the relevance of the petition filed by Sarang Vaman Yadwadkar, who wanted Indian bottled-water norms to match those followed in countries such as the UK, Australia and Saudi Arabia, The New Indian Express reported.
“Where is the drinking water in this country, madam? People do not have drinking water; the quality of bottled water will come later on,” Chief Justice Surya Kant, who was sitting with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said, adding that these are luxury litigations.
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At the outset, the CJI questioned the very premise of the petition, observing that the court could not lose sight of broader realities faced by the country.
Senior advocate Anita Shenoy, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the issue concerned public health and consumer safety. She reportedly said the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 requires packaged drinking water to comply with specific safety norms, and citizens are entitled to clean, safe drinking water.
Suggesting to the petitioner to spare some time for India's to grow further, the bench allegedly said, Let India grow first. Nobody takes up the cause of the poor. This is all urban phobia.
The court also advised her to travel across the country and see the reality. “Mahatma Gandhi, when he returned from South Africa, travelled across rural areas to understand the plight of the people,” TNIE quoted the CJI as saying.
The court ultimately allowed the petitioner to withdraw the PIL, granting liberty to approach the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or other competent authorities to seek redressal.
