Women get behind wheels to make a difference

CHENNAI: Cars dressed up with anti-plastic slogans handwritten on chart paper, teams dressed in colourful outfits that speak of the impact of plastic on the environment, and the hum of cars as they wait in anticipation of the rally to begin. The atmosphere at the Savera Hotel was palpable during the 17th Duchess Club Car Rally. Around 100 cars were registered for the rally, with teams from the Duchess Club, non-member teams and family teams.

“We are the only all-women rally in Chennai and we work along with the Madras Motor Club. We want to have fun as a team and promote friendship and bonding,” said Sujata Mundhra, convener of the event and founder member of the Duchess Club. The Eco-Faries, a team from the Duchess Club, dressed their car to the theme, ‘Say no to plastic’, with reusable items.

“At the front of the car are items that we should use in our day-to-day lives and at the back are items that we should do away with, like plastic,” shared Radhika Nevtatia, a member of the team. All the items they used for decoration were reused and not purchased. The team wore necklaces made of bamboo straws to further highlight the importance of switching to reusable goods. This team won the ‘Best Dressed Team’ award.

The teams, with four members each, had designated roles for each member. The driver and navigator had to follow the directions that were kept secret by the Madras Motor Club until the rally began. The questioner had to solve the challenges set up at different locations, such as collecting a coffee or giving a volunteer a high-five. The calculator was to note down the mileage and kilometres covered over the course of the rally.