Hyderabad Pedals For Green Footprint, Cuts Fuel Gridlock

HYDERABAD: When TSRTC introduced a direct bus from Pragathi Nagar near Nizampet to GAR Corporation in Banjara Hills, techie Srinivas Bellam knew it was time to ditch his bike and switch to bus. “Even before the direct connection, 40% of my office trips were by bus. Since TSRTC introduced direct bus, I made a total switch,” says Srinivas who works at Raheja Mindspace IT Park in Madhapur. There are days when the bus takes 20 minutes to reach the stop, but Srinivas has the satisfaction of ensuring one less personal vehicle on the road. “I would dread when I got stuck in traffic. So, I decided to be the change. After years commuting in Hyderabad, I have realised no flyovers or road-widening can fix a traffic gridlock. Only public transport can fix the chocka-block and fight pollution,” Srinivas says, who has also invested in a monthly bus pass for ₹1,300.

Manoj Vooka | IT professional, TCS
For 25-year-old Manoj Vooka, cycling is not just about fitness, but also a means to resolve the city’s gridlock and pollution. “When I came to Hyderabad in April last year, I would take my bike to office. But I realised cycling to work is a great alternative after getting to know other cyclists,” says Manoj. Apart from cycling 5km from Indiranagar to his TCS office in Gachibowli, Manoj also pedals 20km every morning. Though cycling during peak traffic hours is strenuous, Manoj is determined to continue to make this sustainable choice. “We drive on the extreme left lane of the road, but autos, buses and private vehicles run into us. If we have bicycle tracks, it would have been a blessing,” he says

Yashwant Kumar Ballari | Lead IT business analyst, Micron India
This 35-year-old techie pedals 25km from his Neredmet home to Gachibowli office at least three days a week to cut down on his carbon footprint. And when he’s not cycling to work, he takes the Metro. Ballari got hooked to cycling in his UK stint and when he returned to India in 2015, he decided to continue cycling. Since 2016, he has clocked 18,000km on his geared bicycle. To beat office rush, he starts by 6. 45am so that he’s in office by 8. 10am as it takes 1. 45 hours to pedal to work. He has an SUV and two-wheelers, but he uses these for family outings. “We see many people driving to work and most cars have single occupants, so imagine how many cars are on roads with just one person driving,” he says. Ballari is part of Hyderabad Cycling Evolution.

Rajender Earra | Senior Director, Techwave
This 47-year-old senior director of IT firm Techwave owns an SUV and a heavy-duty bike, but he still chooses to hop onto the Metro for his daily commute to workplace. Earra walks 10-15 minutes from his SR Nagar home to catch the Metro at Ameerpet station and once he alights at Raidurg station, it is another 10-minute walk to office. He says he finds satisfaction in his contribution to conserving fossil fuels and cutting down on carbon footprint. Earra points out public transportation not only helps him save fuel and time, but is hassle free. He uses the car only for family outings.

Animesh Deshmukh | Avid cyclist
Sustainability is using all modes of commute, says Animesh Deshmukh who is an avid cyclist. Avinesh, who uses almost all modes of public transport for office commute, says: “I ride my bicycle to New Market Metro station and lock it there. From there, I proceed to use the Metro to Miyapur. On my way back, I take a bus to New Market station. ” He adds that making conscious decisions to commute is the best way to tackle pollution. His cycling journey starts in 2018.

Prathyusha Parakala| Program manager, Safety, Health, Environment & Sustainability, Dr Reddy’s Labs
One thing Prathyusha says she can vouch for is public transport. It’s cheaper, helps reduce commute time and saves fuel and energy. As she stays 35km from her workplace, when the Hyderabad Metro rolled out in 2017, she was one of the early adopters. She uses office shuttle to minimise her carbon footprint. When she uses her own vehicle, Prathyusha carpools or takes up multiple tasks to substantiate it. She went on an expedition to Antarctica in 2018 to understand effects of climate change on the ecosystem of our planet for which she was awarded Telangana Visishta Puraskar. She also shares sustainability tips via social media platforms like TEDx.
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