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Jodie Underhill, India's British garbage lady

Jodie Underhill is waging what many believe is a losing battle against garbage in India

Jodie Underhill, garbage lady
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Members of Waste Warriors segregate recyclable trash from other waste.

Anjuli Bhargava
It was December 2008. Even for a seasoned traveller like Jodie Underhill, 41, India was a shock. It wasn’t the crowds; it wasn’t the traffic, cars and honking; it wasn’t the glare of men; it wasn’t the chaos you encounter when you step out on streets; it wasn’t the smells that accost you. 

It was the garbage that she couldn’t help but notice everywhere. After a while, Underhill felt she couldn’t shake off the garbage; it was following her everywhere she went.

Underhill had come to India to hold a workshop in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, for children to learn to