Another Cyclist Hit!

Noted environmentalist and cycling advocate, Sunita Narain, was hit by a speeding car near the AIIMS flyover on Sunday morning at 6 AM while cycling to Lodhi Garden from her home in Green Park. She was riding alone when a "a big red car" hit her bicycle from behind and sped off.  

Conscious and bleeding profusely due to a broken nose and fractured arms, she managed to get a lift from a passing vehicle which took her to the AIIMS trauma centre. An eight hour surgery was undertaken to install two titanium plates to fix her broken arms and suture her fractured nose, which may require corrective surgery later.

The 52 year old director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) commented after the incident, ”Cyclists in Indian cities are being edged out systematically to make way for cars.” Narain and CSE have been vocal supporters of people's right to walk and cycle on the roads of urban India. 

Ms. Narain is a 2005 Padma Shri awardee, and has also received the World Water Prize for work on rainwater harvesting and for its policy influence in building paradigms for community based water management. She is also the director of the Society for Environmental Communications and publisher of the fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth.