As Ayan Banerjee stepped into Nellore in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night, the 24-year-old climate and animal welfare activist marked a significant milestone in an unusual journey that has taken him across 2,417 kilometres of India’s coastline on foot.

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Ayan, who was named PETA India’s Volunteer of the Year in 2020 at the age of 18, completed 100 days on the road on June 10 as part of the Karuna Padayatra, a 7,000-kilometre walk that began in the Sundarbans of West Bengal on March 3. Travelling without a vehicle and largely sustained through community support, he aims to trace a geographical V-shaped route through nine States and four Union Territories before reaching Gujarat.

The padayatra is neither political nor commercial. Instead, it is an attempt to bring attention to climate sustainability, environmental awareness, compassionate living and the welfare of animals and communities.

“Walking is slow, but that is precisely why it works,” says Ayan. “It allows me to reach places that are often missed and spend time listening to people.”

Along the route, he conducted environmental awareness sessions at more than 12 schools, distributed over 2,000 organic vegetable seed packets in rural communities and fed stray animals, particularly cows and dogs, using his own resources. He now hopes to distribute more than 9,000 seeds along the way as he reaches Chennai in the next leg of the journey.

A notable stop during his Andhra Pradesh leg was Kondakarla Ava in Anakapalli district. There, Banerjee partnered with the Icha Foundation, a social welfare organisation working with children and vulnerable communities. During his short stay there, he introduced the concept of adopting plant-based meals twice a week at the foundation, a step that Ayan believes promotes both compassion and sustainable living.

“Small changes are often more effective than grand declarations. If communities can adopt even a few sustainable practices, the impact accumulates over time,” he says.

The Andhra Pradesh stretch of the journey also exposed him to concerns surrounding aquaculture and its effects on local ecosystems. During his interactions with farmers and residents in Krishna district and neighbouring regions, Ayan says he repeatedly heard accounts of changing water quality, soil degradation and pressures on traditional livelihoods.

“People who live beside waterbodies and work the land have a clear understanding of what is happening around them. Their observations deserve to be heard,” he says.

Water has emerged as a recurring concern throughout the journey. From the Sundarbans to coastal Andhra Pradesh, access to safe drinking water surfaced repeatedly in conversations.

“In the Sundarbans, drinking water was one of the primary concerns. I came across people collecting water from leaking roadside pipelines. Similar worries about water quality have appeared in different forms across several regions,” he says.

Ayan’s daily routine often involves walking between 30 and 50 kilometres. For the first 50 days, he travelled without any organised support team, visiting schools and communities independently across West Bengal and Odisha. Today, a small outreach and social media team helps document the journey, while accommodation is usually arranged through local residents.

“I stay in people’s homes as I travel. I do not accept money from individuals. What I encounter instead is generosity, hospitality and a willingness to participate in positive action,” he says.

To commemorate the completion of 100 days on the road, Ayan has launched the Day 100 Challenge, inviting people across Andhra Pradesh and the country to walk one kilometre and perform one act of kindness. Participants are encouraged to plant a seed, feed an animal or share a plant-based meal.

The challenge reflects the central idea behind the Karuna Padayatra: that social and environmental change need not begin with institutions or large campaigns, but can start with everyday actions.

He is also documenting the journey for a future film project and has collaborated with environmental organisations including Climate Healers and Bodhi Greens Foundation during the course of the walk.

With a long journey ahead, the road to Gujarat extends before him. For Ayan, the distance is measured in conversations as well.

“Most people are kinder than we imagine,” he says. “When you walk through villages and towns, you see a willingness to help, to care and to participate. This gives me hope.”