Haryana-origin US national raises ₹5cr for Ambala cancer hospital
RAVI K BANSAL COLLECTED THE AMOUNT FROM ACROSS THE WORLD BY FLYING SOLO ON HIS SINGLEENGINE AIRCRAFT CESSNA 400
AMBALA:US national Ravi K Bansal (69), who hails from Ambala, has collected Rs 5.25 crore to donate an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging ) machine to Rotary Cancer and General Hospital here.
He collected the amount from across the world by flying solo on his single-engine aircraft Cessna 400.
He had resolved to do so when he had landed in Ambala on July 22 last year. Bansal had taken off on July 4 last year from Buffalo (US).
Talking to Hindustan Times on the sidelines of a Rotary Club function held here on Monday to felicitate him, Bansal said that after touching over 20 countries in 46 days, he has been able to raise Rs 2.50 crore while a single donation of Rs 3.15 crore has come from Us-based NRI Late Tara Chand, who had no child and had bequeathed the amount for the Ambala Rotary club for buying the MRI machine.
He claimed that the machine would be delivered at the hospital by the end of the month.
Bansal claimed that he was the only person in the world who has flown solo, a single-engine Cessana 400, starting from Buffalo (US) and reaching India on July 22 last year covering a very tough route through Canada , Greenland, Iceland , Europe and Asia and then back to US after touching Thailand, Philippines, Japan , Russia and several other countries .
He claimed that he flew over volcanoes, glaciers, icebergs and encountered different magnetic fields of the earth, though he mostly flew over seas.
He said that he does not want publicity for his feat, but wants publicity for the cause of his mission which was very close to his heart.