Fitness enthusiasts of Dhanbad, who have been denied the pleasures of playing badminton ever since the imposition of a lockdown in March, have now taken to cycling as a way of keeping in shape.

Meet Santanu Chaudhary, traders Satyam Lala and Manish Gulutia, Kunjan Sharan and Pranay Purbey, a radiologist, who are cycling for more than 90 minutes a day through various areas of Dhanbad to stay active and fit.

Satyam Lala, a resident of Ajanta Para, said, "All of us used to go on morning walks at the Railway Ground or Golf Ground, besides playing badminton at the Dhanbad District Indoor Stadium. Suddenly, that stopped.”

The group was “locked in” for more than 45-50 days. “Then we decided to go cycling. It is the best way to carry out physical exercise and maintain social distancing. We keep a distance of 6 feet between each cycle,” Lala, a trader by profession, said.

All members of the group bought new cycles in May.

Santanu Chaudhary said, "We begin our cycle rounds at 5.45am and return home by 7.30am. All of us assemble at Luby Cirular Road and go on our bikes through various lanes and bylanes. We avoid roads that have traffic."

Manish Gutgutia, a Bhuli Road-based trader, said since Covid cases were on the rise, they weren’t feeling comfortable about demanding that parks and playgrounds be opened. “Cycling seemed the best option to stay fit and also maintain social distance,” he said.

Kunjan Sharan, who is a government official, said Dhanbad roads used to be narrow. “But now many roads have been widened and there is enough room to cycle without the risk of accidents,” he explained.