Celebrity SpotFix - Sachin Goes Spotfixing!

"SACHIN goes spotfixing! This is true Bandra Reclamation!
Working from 430-630am to avoid traffic problems, Sachin has raised the bar. Not just symbolic sweeping for a photo-op, but real hard work for several hours - debris & weed clearing, urine-soaked mud removal, wall painting, bench & pot placement - all to reclaim a Bandra footpath. Isn't this wonderful? Why don't you go out and do the same ? This is one activity where you can, perhaps, dare to be as good as Sachin!" ~ The Ugly Indian

"The footpath on the road opposite the Bandra Reclamation Bus Depot was not being used by pedestrians as it was dumped with litter and garbage and covered with wild growth. In fact, the footpath was being misused as a place to answer nature’s call!!

With a team of friends who volunteered with me, we started early in the morning to ensure minimal disruption to public and motorists. With broomsticks, spade (fauda), mattock (kudal), we started our contribution towards the Swachh Bharat initiative. Within an hour, we were joined by some rickshaw drivers who were curiously watching us till then. As the sun was rising, some locals also joined our efforts. Then came our friendly chaiwala, offering tea to the entire team. After two hours of continuous efforts, we still were far from half done. The wild growth needed special attention and we decided to get some help during the day. It was also decided we needed to beautify the place so that locals are encouraged to maintain the footpath

The following morning we had to clean the dump and litter which had been dumped during the previous day. It was frustrating but also indicated the reality of the challenge that this endeavour was going to face.

After the clean up, we decided to paint the compound wall adjoining the footpath. We also coordinated with the local municipal corporator, who was enthusiastic in his response to put up plants, benches and solar lighting. The Mumbai Police also extended its support by ensuring that no illegal parking happens along the footpath.

Please do watch the video which captures the effort of the team on film. The stretch seems small but the effort was immense! I am committed to do more and urge all of you to do your bit in making #CleanIndia a reality.


Swachh Bharat Hi Sach Bharat Hai!"  

~ Sachin Tendulkar

Watch the amazing Spotfix video by Sachin Tendulkar

TUI SpotFix! - Ugly Corner Transformation in Defence Colony!

Location - Vacant Plot in Defence Colony

The ugly open-air urinal in the vacant plot gets a facelift.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF SPOTFIXING THE UGLY CORNER IN DEFENCE COLONY

TUI Corporate Spotfix! - By Thoughtworks @ Koramangala

Location : Thoughtworks, Koramangala 3rd block

The dark side of 24x7 Work Culture - the 24x7 Litter Culture.
The once-a-day street sweeping designed for quiet residential areas cannot handle the software companies with 24x7 high-volume litter generation.

The street opposite the ThoughtWorks office in Koramangala 3rd Block has been a huge mess for years. Some people said 'enough is enough'.  And this is what they did!!





"In this particular instance, the govt does its job of sweeping the street every morning at 9am. That doesn't really help if hundreds of employees of nearby companies litter continuously for the rest of the day. Think how demotivating this could be to the govt sweeper - despite doing what she is supposed to do, she gets blamed. Let's start getting real about who litters and who cleans up. "

~ TUI

TUI Spotfix! - Transforming Defence Colony

Location - Defense Colony


Over 100 Ugly Indians and Defence Colony residents (Decora -Defence Colony Residents Association) came  together to execute dozens of spotfixes (mini and mega) across the length and breadth of Defence Colony.

Spotfixing the wall of Chinmaya Hospital (of CMH Rd fame).

"The guys who did this didn't need to be corporators to do this. Any of us has the power to do this outside our homes - this is a government 'of the people' after all. Each citizen is empowered to clean his own area - it would be better if people started doing that and see the impact!" ~ TUI

Spotfixing a vacant plot, with a boundary wall, used as a garbage dump.
An attempt to make the wall 'looked after'. It has worked. No garbage has come here the past 3 days and all the neighbours are happy with the design. In fact, they were involved in the process of painting the wall. -TUI

Meet Mrs Kapoor, who is 90 years young. She worked for 2 hours on Sunday to fix her street in Defence Colony. What more inspiration do you need to fix your street? -TUI

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF SPOTFIXING DEFENCE COLONY BY RESIDENTS AND UGLY INDIANS

"One has to start somewhere. The good news is that 3 of the Ugly Spots fixed in Defence Colony last Sunday have remained clean for a week now (most residents had given up on their ever getting fixed) - and those that used to create the mess seem to have changed their daily mess-creating behaviour. TUI believes in gradual incremental changes - silent work has been going on behind-the-scenes the past week and there has been a very high level of support (incl from those who created the mess)!" ~ TUI on FB on 21/4/2012

The Chinmaya Mission Hospital Bus parks here every night - earlier it used to park on the roadside and block an entire lane. Not only has the garbage problem been solved, a parking spot has been created (see entire album for 'Before-After pictures).

"The BBMP has used this point as a temporary dumping point for years - but once they saw the work, the Inspector agreed to change his collection methods. This is the way to deal with the BBMP - do not complain - just go out there and do the work quietly, and they rise to the occasion and reciprocate.
there were several households who dumped here everyday taking advantage of the existing dump. TUI volunteers met each resident and aligned their daily dumping schedule with the door-to-door pick up system (which they were not using). There has been 100% compliance the past 2 days. Sincere work is always recognised by all." ~ TUI on FB

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF HOW DEFENCE COLONY RESIDENTS CAME TOGETHER TO FIX GARBAGE DUMPS

TUI Corporate Spotfix! - By Grand Mercure Employees in Koramangala

Location - Grand Mercure Hotel, Koramangala 

The employees of the hotel Grand Mercure, Bangalore came out to beautify the street outside their hotel. 

This vacant plot attracts garbage (note the street dogs), and the tree stump adds to the ugliness of the area. This is a simple, low-cost way of converting an ugly spot into something beautiful.

Meet the SpotFixers from Grand Mercure, Bangalore!

 CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF GRAND MERCURE SPOTFIX IN KORAMANGALA

TUI Corporate Spotfix! - Saving Bagmane Tech Park!

Location - Bagmane Tech Park

30 employees from Sasken, Bagmane Tech Park volunteered to clean the mess outside this tech park and begin saving Bagmane Lake.

Check out the spotfixing videos





After this Initial clean up by Sasken,  20 employees from Dell, HP, Juniper and TI came together to clean up the area around Bagmane lake!


Click here to see more pictures of Saving Bagmane Lake



And this is the end result!!!



"Mar 30: Bagmane Lake cleaned of all cups by Sasken employees. Several dustbins installed, and clearing system setup.
No enforcement imposed - deliberately.

April 20: Over next 3 weeks (or 15 work days), over 8,000 cups landed here. That works out to about 500 thrown into the lake per day!
Daily sales of chai/coffee cups: 5000 (across 8 shops) - so about 10% of customers threw their cups in the lake. 90% do not.

April 23rd: Just 20 cups were found at 5pm. And promptly cleaned up. So the place looks totally clean on Tuesday morning.

Conclusion: Of 5,000 cups available to throw in the lake on Monday, just 20 got there - down from 500 earlier. About 96% of those who used to throw in the lake seem to have stopped.
Let's see what happens on Tuesday. We suspect the number to be about 20 again. We think that's acceptable...for now.

In ANY group or society, around 5% of the members violate the rules EVEN when fines are enforced. In a self-governing situation, it is normally 10% or more.

TUI is very pleased with the 96% behaviour change. If this sustains at this level for the next 5 days, there is serious cause for satisfaction as a SpotFix well done.

While aiming for 100% conversion is desirable, we don't think it will happen overnight. Let's recognise dramatic change when we see it. "

~ TUI

Some questions answered by TUI on Facebook.

Q: How are the cups disposed off after cleaning?
A: ALL the litter from the 12 shops is collected and kept in an 'unofficiaal dump' in the corner, from where it is picked up by the city authorities (BBMP), and taken to the Landfill sites. All the shopkeepers are technically illegal (as they are across India) so they do not get civic services from the city - however they have found an informal way of getting the garbage collected. We hope to find a way to formalise this. ~ TUI

Q:  Hope the near by company people will respect the work done by Common Citizen. Where is BBMP ?
A: As this entire stretch of shops is 'illegal' they get no formal BBMP support. This is the tragedy of urban India - essential services like street vendors are illegal and hence get no formal civic services support - is fact, this is the crux of the 'garbage problem' in cities like Bangalore. ~ TUI

Q: Please also provide dustbins there it looks like employees of the tech park themselves are dumping plastic cups?
A: Yes, the tech park employees are 100% responsible for this mess. This stretch is used ONLY by employees who work in Bagmane, and come here for tea-and-cigarette breaks. This is why we are calling on them to come out and cleanup. It's a real shame that this is tolerated. While 80% of them are conscious and use the bins provided (yes, there are dozens of bins there now), there are still many who nonchalantly toss their trash into the lake. ~ TUI

TUI Corporate Spotfix! - By Employees of Sasken!

Location - Inner ring Road, near Sasken Corporate HQ

Inspired by the Spotfixes by Dell and NetApp Employees near their offices, 40 Sasken Employees come together to clean up the road leading to their Office HQ in Bangalore.






"The neighbours have been involved in this spotfix. Some have worked with their hands, some have provided logistical support. Spotfixes always involve the neighbours! And passers by too! Otherwise they don't sustain" ~ TUI

 If you are interested to do a similar Spotfix near your office in Bangalore with your co-workers, please write to theuglyindian@gmail.com

Click here to view videos of other Spotfixes by Corporates!

I Can Spotfix! - Clean up Trek @ Pune

Location - Sinhagad,  Pune, Maharashtra

A group of youngsters in Pune organised a clean up trek in Sinhagad, Pune.
According to one of the Trekkers the waste collected were 10 bags of  plastic, glass and other non-recyclable items, of which the plastic bottles were sold to the to rag-pickers.

Click here to see their wonderful spotfix pictures

TUI Spotfix - Metro Station dump on MG Road

Location - MG Road

TUI's  little gift to Bangalore to celebrate the launch of the Metro!
Eliminating this Ugly Spot in front of the MG Road station.

                                                                          

Before



After



Click here to Read the complete pictorial Story in fixing The Metro Station dump on MG Road and  give your Feedback

"Why do we do what we do?  What's in it for us?'
See this short video of the MG Road Metro SpotFix for the answer." - TUI

"Moral of the Story:


Just because a 'problem' hasn't been solved for 15 years, doesn't mean it cannot be solved.


It needs one person with the right attitude who is determined to see it through till the end. Sometimes it happens in one day, sometimes longer. But no force on earth can stop one person - who is willing to make the solution his/her problem. And approaches it with commonsense.


All other stakeholders rally around such a person.
Everyone is waiting for someone else to step forward and take charge of common problems.


The only rules are:
1. Do not step on anyone's toes.
2. Be sincere and genuine.
3. Make problem-solving the focus - not any ideology.
4. Kaam Chalu Mooh Bandh


Hope you enjoyed the story.

If you feel you can do the same with a spot near your home/office, hope you get some pointers here. "


 - TUI

TUI Spotfix - Despair in Defence Colony

Location - Defence Colony, Indiranagar

Rahul Dravid once played cricket in this very play ground.
TUI says this is one of the most challenging spotfixes they have done, a very complex and tough one, please take a few minutes to watch this 7 part series.

Part 1 in the series



"These are not easy problems to solve. They are in the public space where the 'public' has no formal authority to act. Planning, preparation and trust building with those who could oppose you - is essential." - TUI

Watch part 2 to part 6 on youtube - Despair in Defence Colony

After 15 days of work..here is part 7 in the series

"The Ugly Indian does not talk to the media - so we appreciate articles like these that are based on actual field research and being on the ground during a spotfix." - TUI

Spotfix 20 - Before & After (Spot Quiz 20)

Location - Residency Road, Bishop Cotton School

According to TUI, this was one of their most challenging spot fixes.  Please watch part-15 here and take a little time out to watch the entire 18 part series on Youtube




Update!

This garden was created on July 22 2011 - is 80 days old
and doing well. There are assigned people who maintain the entire place - everyday.


"All spotFixes also involve installing some sort of maintenance." - TUI

Spotfix 12 - Before & After (Spot Quiz 12)

Location - Junction of Brigade Road and Magrath Road.

Thousands of people walk here everyday on the way from Brigade Road to to Garuda Mall. It is a urinal, garbage dump and total eyesore.

The spot was fixed by a few Ugly Indians in December, 2010. A temporary job, but it worked for a month. Then the Namma Metro soil testing team dug up the place for 2 weeks, destroyed the garden, and when they left the Spot lapsed back to its original filthy state.The Ugly Indians were back with a more permanent fix. With new tools, materials, skills and determination. A work still  in progress, but there is a distinct improvement. ~ TUI

Click here to see more pictures of this spotfix on Facebook and give your feedback.

Spotfix 11 - Before and After (Spot Quiz 11)

Location - Opposite St Patrick's Complex (near Indiana Fast foods), and opposite the War Memorial Park / BMTC Bus Terminus at the end of Brigade Road.



This majestic rain tree opposite St Patrick's Complex (opposite the War Memorial park at the end of Brigade Road, Bangalore) has borne the brunt of its neighbours' poor civic sense for decades. Resigned to being a garbage dump, and braving the occasional fire & smoke from burning, this tree symbolises how our city has changed over the past 30 years



It needed a few Ugly Indians to restore respect and dignity to the tree. Magically, the garbage has stopped coming (those dumping here everyday took the trouble to dump at the official points), and this tree has been smiling now. And the nearby shopowners too, who tend to the new garden where once there were garbage & rats.


This is the only surviving rain tree from a large avenue of trees that lined the entrance to the 19th century St Patrick's Church and the World War I memorial. Surely, it deserves better. Till last week, it was a daily pick-up point on the route of the BBMP Garbage lorry- thankfully, the lorry doesn't need to stop here anymore. ~ TUI

Click here to see pictures of this Spotfix on Facebook and give your feedback.

Spotfix 8 - Before & After (Spot Quiz 8)

Location - Intersection of Church St and Brigade Rd

This is the entrance to Church Street, at the intersection with Brigade Road. Probably the most prime commercial space in Bangalore - yet such an Ugly spot.

Notice the new street sign, and the little garden that has sprung up behind the blue telecom box.

Click here to see more pictures of this Spot fix and give your feedback

Spotfix 7 - Before and After ( Spot Quiz 7)

Location - In front of RR on Church Street, and opposite Nando's and Matteo (earlier NASA).

A typical day on a corner of a very important street in Bangalore. The real estate value here is among the highest in the city. Discarded carpets, tube-lights and a couple of dead rats in the background.

Check out more Before Pictures here and here

This involved painting the electricity box, creating a platform, painting the curb, designing and creating a garden, and involving the neighbors who now maintain it. No garbage is thrown here now, the urination has stopped and it has made the place look quite nice.  
The advertising boards keep the poster stickers away, and somewhat block the visibility of the ugly stuff behind.The live wires at hand height used to 'switch on' the streetlights everyday (by connecting them!) are now safely within a switch ~ TUI

 Click here to see more pictures of this spotfix on Facebook and give your feedback. 

Spotfix 6 - Before and After ( Spot Quiz 6)

 Location -  The gate opposite Amoeba on Church St

This spot is on Church Street, between Shrungar Shopping Centre & Barton Centre and right opposite Ruby Tuesday, Saigon, Amoeba, Three Quarter Chinese, Indian Coffee House, Queens.

The family of 13 rats has moved elsewhere. :)

Click here for more pictures of the Spotfix on Facebook and give your Feedback. 

Spotfix 3 - Before & After ( Spot Quiz 3 )

Location -  The walk to Garuda Mall from Brigade Road...


This has been the daily situation for years. The stench and garbage has always forced pedestrians to walk on the crowded Brigade Road.

Several people have tried in the past to fix this. The 'Toilet Rs 500 Fine' was one such desperate attempt by the mechanic who works on the other side of the wall

Now, after the TUI Spotfix!

The Spot doesn't smell anymore as urination and dumping has completely stopped. It actually looks quite pretty, say the hawkers who operate there everyday.

 Click here to see more pictures of the Spotfix on Facebook and give your Feedback!

Spotfix 2 - Before & After ( Spot Quiz 2 )

Location - The corner of Rest House Crescent and Church Street

This is  right opposite the offices of Wipro, Times of India, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and GK Vale. And the view from the window at Kaati Zone.

This photo could have been taken any day - this dump was always there, as long as anyone can remember. Hundreds of employees of Wipro and Times of India have been walking by this everyday, on their way to work

It's been looking like this  after the TUI Spotfix.

After the TUI Spotfix, surviving with no supervision since Aug 2010! There is Hope!

 Click to here see more pictures of the Spotfix on Facebook and give your Feedback.