The Ugly Indians land Under a Flyover (UFO), Hebbal , Bangalore

It all started with two-wheelers being parked haphazardly on a busy stretch below the Bhadrappa Layout flyover on the Outer Ring Road near Hebbal.

The Ugly Indian landed at a flyover, Bhadrappa Layout, Bangalore

Soon, these bikers were joined by more well-dressed people who started to unpack their backpacks. Out came cans of paint, brushes, spades and tools of all shapes and sizes which they started passing around. They soon started scouting around for traffic cones and the parked bikes became a protective shield for their workspace. As passing helmetless two-wheeler riders and passengers from BMTC buses gawked, the assembled volunteers started getting their hands dirty.

Happy young The Ugly Indian making difference to the pavements

Happy The Young Ugly Indian Kid making difference

These were the Ugly Indians who have cleaned up junctions, streets and beautified spaces underneath flyovers beautifying the filthy stretches of Bangalore city. Here too in North Bangalore, near Big Bazaar they started work in their now well-known anonymous way – without advertising themselves and silently. The small army of volunteers, including some with kids in tow, started their tasks – scraping the medians, footpath and roads for clinging earth, wiped them clean before bringing on paint cans to paint the concrete blocks yellow and black.

Clearing the muck Under the flyover

Another team picked and cleared the accumulated garbage in a BBMP trolley they found docked to the median grill. Soon, the trolley filled up with piles of mud, broken stone slabs, pieces of metal, plastic covers etc. A startled cow grazing on the divider actually gave up her coveted spot and moved onto the road. Under her benign gaze, within minutes, the median was scraped clean, air brushed and painted in bright yellow and black. It was an important lesson for the cow – that this place under the flyover will no longer be dumped with plastic covers filled with food to forage. She will have to find another dirty spot.

The Ugly Indians, as the group calls themselves, were also helped by a home guard on duty who kept the unruly traffic darting below the flyover moving. After almost two hours or so, the volunteers stepped back to view their work. It was a neatly executed plan and after a round of byes, they left – dispersing as quickly as they had first appeared.

Colours that will change the UFO

The home guard was pleased to say the least. She may no longer need to use a mask at her workplace of two years to protect her from the stench of uncleared garbage. One only hopes other ugly Indians cooperate in future to keep the stretch bright and clean.