Raahgiri returns to Noida after summer break

'Raahgiri' is back in Noida after a summer break and will be hosted near the Central Park in Sector 137 on Saturday evening, officials said here.

The event will be held from 6 pm to 9.30 pm, the Noida Authority officials said on Friday, appealing to people to participate in the cultural extravaganza.

Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari has instructed officials to also include awareness programmes in the event, besides the usual games, music and community activities, a senior official said.

"We had a successful first edition with thousands of citizens, including the elderly, women and children, participating in the Raahgiri," Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi said.

"The CEO has directed for having programmes on raising awareness among the people about plastic use and we will have a pictorial exhibition also during this Raahgiri to caution people about the harms of plastic," he said.

He said a free health camp will be organised during the cultural event, with facilities for a medical check-up.

The Noida Authority had started organising 'Raahgiri' every weekend from February 3, with the event becoming popular among locals who gathered and engaged in activities like music, arts, sports and walking. The last 'Raahgiri' was held here in June, officials said.

Raahgiri Day was India's first sustained vehicle-free citizen initiative that began in Gurgaon and has been successfully running there since its inception in 2013. More than 70 cities across 18 states have organised Raahgiri Day until now, the authority said.

The idea is actually modelled after an event named 'Ciclovia' held in Bogota and was combined with the word 'giri', which promotes it as a movement for reclaiming 'raah', which means path used by pedestrians, it added.