Bengaluru:
Last Saturday morning, when most Bengalureans were still in their beds, around 40 people assembled under the flyover opposite Manyata Tech Park along the Outer Ring Road in Nagawara, north Bengaluru. By 8.30 am, they started scraping the about 20 pillars that propped up the flyover. They were enthusiastic children, senior citizens and youngsters and the target: the ugly pillars.
Within a few hours, they had not only scraped off the posters and filth that covered the pillars, but had also painted colourful 3-D pyramids interconnected by triangles. Another mission accomplished: the citizen group had reclaimed the space below yet another flyover.
In the past two months, The Ugly Indian, an anonymous group of citizens with the motto “Kaam Chalu Mooh Bandh”, have fixed more than 250 pillars of about 15 flyovers through their UFO (under the flyover) project. During the weekends, they have been removing the posters that dot the pillars and outer walls , and clearing the waste and garbage piled up around the base.
The UFO project is bringing in a change as well. The pillars that have received a face-lift continue to remain clean with no new poster or filth. For, there is a method to all the spot fixing done. As Vinay Unnikrishnan posted on the Facebook page of TUI: “The design and colours used here make a poster almost redundant due to the excessive clutter. A plain wall would attract posters but this design keeps them away. Brilliant idea and fantastic execution.”
As a result, these spaces have become models for other cities as well, with citizens replicating the model there. Bhumika GV, a student volunteer from Mallathahalli in west Bengaluru, said, “Many of our friends and relatives in other cities such as Kanpur, Mumbai and Gwalior etc are adopting the methodology to remove the ugliness of flyovers.”
The volunteers have brought workers of civic agencies such as BBMP on board. In a way, the spot fixes are a joint project done in partnership with the government.
For these spot fixes, volunteers come empty handed as they are provided with all the tools, materials and instructions on the spot. Besides, the project is self-funded, as citizens themselves contribute for the material costs.
Want be part of UFO spotfix?
Date: Saturday January 9, 2016
Time: 9 am
Spot: Nagawara Flyover, opposite Lumbini Gardens, near ‘Manyata Tech Park’, Outer Ring road.
For more details visit The Ugly Indian Facebook page or write to theuglyindians@gmail.com.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / by Rohith B R, TNN / January 07th, 2016