The largest eye donation campaign in the world, Blind Walk, will be conducted on World Sight Day on 12 October at 3 p.m.from Gate No. 2 of Palika Bazaar in Connaught Place. Organised by the Bangalore-based Project Vision, Blind Walk will be held in 250 locations across five countries in which about 100,000 sighted persons will walk blindfolded led by visually-challenged persons.
Minister of state for Tourism Alphonse Kannanthanam will be the chief guest on the occasion.
In Delhi, it is conducted in collaboration with Chetanalaya, Holy Family Hospital, Prabhat Seva, YMCA, Volunteers for the Blind Foundation, Eye Bank Association of India, Catholic Health Association of India, Society for Social Development for Northern Region, etc. Other leaders expected to participate in the march include Archbishop Anil Couto, Swami Agnivesh, Sardar Paramjeet Singh Chandok and Maulana Mahmood Madani.
About 600 people will participate in the one-km walk. Started in 2014, the Walk has been conducted in 100 places so far, including 55 locations across USA, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India, in which 25,000 people were given the experience of blindness and pledged their eyes.
Though about 85 lakh people die in India every year, only 25,000 donate eyes. Twenty per cent of the 15 million visually challenged people in India could see again through corneal transplant.