AGNI started out by tackling civic services, the lifelines of urban living. Link- ages were formed with the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai), NGOs, and citizen groups. AGNI then facilitated formation of ALM (Advanced Locality Management) groups. ALM is the MCGM's own framework for citizen participation in civic governance. An ALM brings together a group of buildings of up to 1,000 residents. It is registered with the Ward Office concerned, which appoints a nodal officer to attend to citizen complaints on civic matters. ALMs are meant to provide 'Single Window Clearance' on all matters managed by the Ward Office. AGNI representatives routinely attend monthly ALM meetings at Ward and Central level.

AGNI plays the role of an enabler and assembles citizens around civic problems and issues. It provides a platform for discussion, ideas and action for change. Success stories are numerous eg. drains in Kurla left open and uncleared for 30 years which were cleaned; encroachments in Wadala and elsewhere, bad traffic routing have been dealt with. Garbage clearance, water supply, the condition of roads and pavements, illegal building etc. have all come in for AGNI JAAG attention all over Mumbai.

1 AGNI JAAG-MCGM Workshops

MCGM Ward and headquarters officials and AGNI JAAG representatives from all Wards attended a series of two-day zonal workshops at Indian Oil Bhavan. These have consolidated and enriched the partnership between citizens and the MCGM. A common understanding and joint action plans have emerged.

2 Clean & Green Mumbai

Concerned with the alarming rise in pollution levels, lack of cleanliness and the rapid disappearance of trees and open spaces in the city, AGNI collaborated with college and school students and the Times of India Group to take up Cleaning and Greening Mumbai.

The project began with a two-day workshop at Lonavala in November 2000, involving 150 College students and programme officers besides AGNI volunteers. Detailed plans and commitment schedules were prepared. A "Clean and Green Mumbai" week (18th - 24th Jan 2001) was conceived at the workshop and launched at a mass meeting in Shanmukhananda Hall. Volunteer groups were set up in 11 Wards to spread awareness during the first phase of the project. The second phase was an exercise in cleaning, greening and vermi-composting in and around Mumbai.

3 Swachchha Mumbai Abhiyaan

Playing a facilitator's role, AGNI has been actively involved in formulation and implementation of this ongoing program of the MCGM, launched on 15th August 2002.
1. A core group consisting of senior MCGM officers and AGNI members formulated an action plan based on data about waste generation, collection and disposal. AGNI-JAAGs have promoted community participation and media notice.
2. AGNI and MCGM jointly organised a sensitization workshop for civic staff and AGNI Coordinators.
3. AGNI mobilised volunteers at ward level, to join the municipality's 'Nuisance Detector' teams and to monitor clearing of garbage.
4. Information on garbage clearance timings, control room numbers etc. has been spread by AGNI volunteers.
5. AGNI volunteers have found sponsors for litterbins and security guards in various areas.

4 Girgaum Chowpatty Beach Project

AGNI - JAAG in D Ward has helped evolve a plan to accommodate bhelpuri stall owners on Girgaum-Chowpatty beach after courts had held the area to be recreational and for citizens. Where were stall owners to go? AGNI participated in site visits, court hearings and numerous discussions with civic authorities. Well-known architect and urban planner, Rahul Mahrotra, designed a solution, which was accepted by the court and already has been implemented by a court-appointed committee on which AGNI is represented.

The court appointed committee, which is still performing is now in the process is implementing the Master Plan of the entire stretch of the beach.

The project is another example of positive interaction, facilitated by AGNI, involving the municipality and experienced professionals.

5 Averting Municipal Strikes

In October 2000, Municipal employee unions, demanding high bonus and ex gratia payments, went on an illegal strike, even denying citizens water supply and essential health services. Severely affected citizens were further angered when Corporators passed a unanimous resolution to meet union demands. This would balloon an already serious MCGM deficit.

AGNI's Vice Chairman, Mr D. M. Sukthankar, led a citizen response, challenging the legality of the resolution in the High Court - which promptly struck it down. No bonus and ex-gratia payments were made.

The following year (July 2001) there was a threat of a similar strike. AGNI spread public awareness of the impending danger through the media, meetings and press conferences. The State government was urged to initiate action based on law (the Essential Services Maintenance Act). The strike was averted.



B : TRAINING OF COORDINATORS AND VOLUNTEERS
AGNI holds various training programs and workshops for its coordinators and volunteers to develop in them the qualities of leadership, time management, effective communication, team spirit and a strong value system.

"Project Me" Unity of success, happiness and peace, a workshop conducted by leading management guru, Mr. Y. K. Sapru (20th April, 02) focused on a balanced development of life to achieve happiness.

A two-day workshop conducted (29th &30th June, 02) at Leslie Sawhney Centre, Deolali was arrived at developing leadership skills and tackling civic issues. Eminent speakers educated the AGNI coordinators on various important topics like 74th Constitutional Amendment, Municipal Budget and ways in which citizen's participation can improve civic services.

Realizing that in a democracy, "information" is the most effective tool, both to empower citizens and to check corruption, AGNI arranged a daylong workshop on 30 November 2002, to educate its Coordinators on the importance of information, the Maharashtra Right to Information Ordinance, 2002 and its application.

The objective of the workshop, conducted by Ms. Deepika Farias from Common Wealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), was to impart technical and practical knowledge to the AGNI Coordinators on this Ordinance. This will enable the Coordinators to share this detailed information with the citizens at large through the network of their JAAGs (Joint Area Action Groups) so that they can make use of the law in their interaction with the government thus ensuring greater transparency and accountability.

1 Training of Students

Students from various educational institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the College of Social Work (Nirmala Niketan) and Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College have been associated with AGNI for their fieldwork training. The association with students has been mutually beneficial. Students expressed themselves better equipped for professional practice and AGNI was assisted in establishing contact with young people and the community through them.

Various problems were identified jointly by residents and students, and the community was encouraged to work towards solutions with help from AGNI -JAAGs. Citizens were empowered and developed a greater sense of responsibility for their neighbourhoods.

NSS (National Students' Service) students from several colleges have been involved with AGNI's "Clean and Green Mumbai project" and "ElectionWatch" campaign. A two-day training workshop was held for these students at Lonavala in which they were introduced to, among other topics, to a holistic approach for fulfillment of individual goals and targets. This was precipitated into an action plan for the Clean and Green Mumbai project.

2 Meet the Police Events

AGNI organised public meetings in the ten zones of Mumbai during the City Police's Public Awareness Campaign for Prevention of Crime in 2001. These meetings were attended by senior police officials of the zones and contributed to better understanding between citizens and police and joint action.



C : DISASTER RELIEF
Orissa Cyclone Relief

In November 1999, Orissa was struck by a massive cyclone, which caused unprecedented loss of life and property. AGNI organized a Relief Campaign working with Indian Oil, Bombay Times and Central Railway to set up centres for money and relief material. AGNI with its network of NGOs and volunteers manned the collection centres to help coordinate the whole process. Over 200 tons of relief material were transported to the affected State and over Rs. 45 lakh was made to the Times Relief Fund.

Gujarat Earthquake Relief

On Republic Day 2001, a devastating earthquake struck Gujarat with great loss of life and rendering thousands homeless.

AGNI joined forces with Indian Oil, HPCL and the Times of India to organise a relief drive. IOC and HP petrol stations all over the city, manned by AGNI volunteers, served as collection centres for relief materials and donations.

An amount of about 36 Lakhs was collected for immediate relief of victims. 4,000 kitchen kits, 5000 tarpaulin shelter sheets, 100 canvas tents and 2000 woollen blankets were sent to Gujarat. A team of AGNI members visited the affected areas and coordinated relief operations.



D : ELECTION WATCH

As civic elections approached (February 2002), AGNI extended its approach to problem-solving through the democratic process, in this case, the elections. It saw that any change in civic conditions had to be made at the local, grass roots level - the Municipal Corporation. Water supply, traffic regulation, drains, roads, hospitals, building and repair permissions, schools and many other public services are the direct responsibility of the municipality. Citizens were largely unaware of the link between these essential services and their votes.

Aiming at cleansing the Electoral Process and creating Public Awareness on the importance of voting, AGNI launched the city's first ever "ElectionWatch" The programme included the following:

1 Updating Electoral Rolls

To procure compact discs (CDs) of the electoral rolls and distributed them to Coordinators in all wards to facilitate checking of names. People who were not registered but were eligible were guided to the registration offices. All information on how to register, fill forms etc. was made available by the AGNI office to the people through the AGNI-JAAGs in all wards. AGNI printed and distributed forms when required (for registration, change of names etc.). The registration offices began to function as never before. Through continuous dialogue, the State Election Commission was persuaded to extend the last date for voter registration by two weeks.

2. Voter Awareness Campaign

Analysis revealed that a large proportion of the population was ignorant about the role of the MCGM and thus of the importance of voting in civic elections. Public meetings, press conferences and media publicity served to educate the citizens. The middle class, who had always been apathetic, were made more aware and involved.

3 Citizens' Charter

Manifesto outlining the needs of the city was drafted by AGNI and other NGOs and sent to political parties. Candidates signed this "manifesto".

4 AGNI Pariksha

AGNI Pariksha outlining the qualities of a good candidate and a questionnaire based on it was distributed for candidates to fill up. Responses were received from many. These were shared with citizens to help them to get better informed on candidates, also to evoke candidate commitments in writing.

5 Meet Your Candidate (MYC) events

Were organised in virtually all parts of the city, giving citizens an opportunity to interact with their candidates. MYC events and questionnaires led to people making a more informed choice at the time of voting.

6 Meet Your Elected Representatives (MYER) events

Were, and continue to be held to follow up on election promises and to set a trend of dialogue and cooperation between citizens and elected representatives.

7 Assembly Elections

Assembly Elections were unexpectedly announced in September 1999. AGNI's response took the form of evolving Citizen Charters. Some 30 Meet Your Candidate (MYC) events were organised in the MLA constituencies. Never before had citizens interacted in this way and on this scale with candidates. People responded enthusiastically. AGNI was able to obtain written pledges from the candidates. Following the elections, Meet Your Elected Representative (MYER) programmes were held to hold MLAs to their commitments.