Spotting Blots, Fixing Spots

WR volunteers come from all walks of life across all ages. From a six-year-old child watering plants to a 65-year-old retired colonel painting the bus stop, you will find them all.

The Ugly Indians (TUI) inspired WR’s first spotfix in September 2013 at Ramgondanahalli bus stop. Three years later, the citizens group collaborated with TUI for WR’s biggest ever spotfix—at the area’s busiest bus stop: Kundalahalli Gate. The wall was cleaned and painted, the footpath slabs were repaired, the trash on the roadside was removed and benches were erected.

The gateway to modern-day Whitefield was transformed over two weekends: on October 9 and 16, 2016.

The standard operating procedure was followed—but for a few tweaks to suit the situation and the location. The actual event was preceded by days or weeks of planning and spade work. A couple of champion volunteers identified the spot, clicked photos and circulate them within a WhatsApp group. A discussion ensued. The date was finalized. A core team was formed. A vigil was maintained for a few days and nights to dig deeper into the source of the garbage.

The team then circulated the poster through social media and word-of-mouth. Meanwhile, it arranged or procured reusable rubber gloves, face masks, empty trash bags, shovels, paint brushes, cement, bricks, compost, plants and other materials. Funds were crowd-sourced. Children were roped in; a teenager was seen going round with a box for collecting funds. 

The event was a sight to behold. Children, women and men worked in tandem, between 6:30 and 11:30 in the morning during weekends. New volunteers join hands with the older lot.

In three years, volunteers have converted about 60 black spots into clean and green patches—including at Varthur College and Outer Circle. Tomato vines and rich compost have replaced the garbage heap where stray dogs used to meander day and night.

Volunteers spread compost and regularly clean the trash that surfaces periodically at the Outer Circle corner that was ‘spotfixed’ by WR volunteers in July 2016, even as passers-by relish the sight of the plants thriving at this black spot turned green patch.

The Ugly Indians (TUI) are an anonymous group of volunteers who clean Indian streets. TUI calls cleaning the street “spot-fixing and chooses small segments of road each week to clean: pavements piled up with plastic, defaced walls, footpaths rendered unusable by potholes as spot-fixing places. All tools, materials and instructions are provided on the spot. All spot-fixes are self-funded and volunteers are requested to make a contribution towards material costs. (source: The Ugly Indians wiki)

Till date, WR has done over 75+ spot fixes in the area, some including corporates.

View a WR Spot Fix

If you want to do a spot fix, let our Spot Fix template guide you. Email hello@whitefieldrising.org