Bihar family covers distance of 120 km on a single bicycle to attend wedding

Patna: Giving no heed to the scorching sun overhead, a 35-year-old man along with his wife and two children marched on a bicycle to cover a distance of nearly 120 km to join a wedding ceremony in Nalanda.

Unaware of the 4-hour long journey, the two children were sitting on the front of the bicycle while his wife was sitting on the pillion narrates the horrific situation of the poor section of the society due to the induced lockdown.

Harendra Singh, who has been employed at a petrol pump in Patna, narrated that he got a leave of merely two days to attend his niece wedding ceremony in Bihar's Nalanda. Due to overcharging of bus and autos due to covid lockdown, he chose to cover a distance of nearly 120 km on his bicycle.

When ETV Bharat asked the reason for covering such a long distance by bicycle, Singh said, "At first I chose to go buy a bus. But they are charging Rs 200 per passenger. If I go by bus, then it would cost me around Rs 800."

He further maintained, "I have to join the wedding ceremony. If I would not go, then who would come to my children's wedding ceremony. So, I have to go at any cost."

The state has been rattled by explosive growth in its COVID-19 incidence since the beginning of April. During the period, its total caseload has risen by nearly three times and exceeded six lakh. In order to arrest the spread of the deadly virus, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar extended the lockdown in the state till May 25.