&nbsp;

Jodie Underhill came to India in December 2008 as a tourist and then volunteered at the Tibetan Children&rsquo;s Village in Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The apalling situation of&nbsp;garbage piling was something that bothered her every single day. In April 2009, she decided to do something about it and eventually, Waste Warriors happened. The vision is &#39;A healthier India with improved living standards and a better quality of life where waste workers are valued and respected for their work&#39;.

&nbsp;

What motivated you to stay back in India and start Waste Warriors?

I travelled to many countries during my twenties and India was the country I liked the least due to (the presence of)&nbsp;garbage everywhere. I never imagined for a minute that I would return here, let alone stay! I didn&rsquo;t come to India with the intention of starting an NGO, I just started clean-up drives after feeling so sad at seeing garbage everywhere. That led to educating children, installing dustbins and starting a door-to-door waste collection service. Registering (the NGO) was &nbsp;natural. We then started doing waste management events, doing more and more projects, employing more staff, expanding to Dehradun and Corbett Tiger Reserve and, now, (we) employ 60 people.

&nbsp;

What was it about Mcleodganj and&nbsp;Triund that you decided to start your operation there?

I travelled from the South of India to the North over a two-month period and I saw garbage absolutely everywhere and the train journeys were particularly heartbreaking. Himachal was my final destination and I couldn&rsquo;t take it any longer.&nbsp;I felt like I just had to do something. Anyone who&nbsp;has been to Triund knows why I started the project there, it&rsquo;s a very special and magical place. The first thing I saw when I reached there was the beauty of the mountain range. Then I looked over the edge and saw the entire place was littered. We not only cleaned the place but also gave bags to the shops and guest houses and asked them to stop burning and dumping their waste, we promised to come back in a week and collect it. We did just that and this was the start of the weekly waste collection service. It took about a year of cleaning every week to clear the litter down the slopes at Triund.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ww1-20170306100941.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
&#39;Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a really fabulous job&#39; (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Why do you think people throw their waste and leftovers when they visit a place. Is it a habit or they don&#39;t care about the environment or is there another reason?

Most people are not even aware that they are littering, they just naturally drop their packet when they finish eating. When asked why they litter, people often respond with &ldquo;My one little piece of trash doesn&rsquo;t make a difference&rdquo;. Sadly they don&rsquo;t realise that those small pieces accumulate and it&rsquo;s the reason that India has such a massive garbage problem. People have become so used to seeing garbage everywhere that they have become desensitised to the issue. However, when the same people go to the West, they use the dustbins, they don&rsquo;t spit or urinate in public, they become more responsible, thinking before they act. The same can be done here in India with a bit of effort.

&nbsp;

How has the local government supported Waste Warriors and what more can they do?

I hate answering this question as I always feel that if I tell the truth, it will jeopardise the future of our organisation.&nbsp;But the fact of the matter is that there has been little help from the government. We have made a decision to employ someone for government liaison in&nbsp;future as it&rsquo;s a tricky and&nbsp;delicate matter but one&nbsp;of utmost importance. The models we have can only be replicated on&nbsp;large&nbsp;scale if we work with the local administration. I have invested so much time and effort&nbsp;but have had no success. We were so excited when the chief minister of Himachal said he would help to save our Dharamsala project. But five weeks down,&nbsp;no help has come. We are still relying on public donations.

&nbsp;

What has been the really challenging and also the most satisfying aspect of running Waste Warriors?

The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness and change their mindsets towards waste. The most satisfying part is watching the organisation grow, seeing our staff blossom, hearing from people whose lives we have impacted and seeing nature the way it&rsquo;s supposed to be &ndash; garbage free. We love working with kids too as it doesn&rsquo;t take them long to grasp how important our work is and how they as individuals have the power to make a difference. I know that one day, many of them will grow up and be in positions of power and will make decisions and run their businesses in a way that can benefit their environment and the health of the people around them.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ww3-20170306101147.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

How are women contributing to the&nbsp;cause?

We employ 60 people and 23 of those are women. Minakshi Pandey,&nbsp;head of the Corbett project, is a force to be reckoned with and we have strong female leaders in project management, finance, education and administration too. Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a fabulous job. We work with a number of girls&#39; schools here in Dehradun and women make&nbsp;up around 50 per cent of our volunteer base.

&nbsp;

What can we do to protect nature from the garbage menace?

1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Don&#39;t&nbsp;litter, not even a sweet wrapper, a cigarette butt or the corner of your chip packet! Speak to people who litter and try and encourage them to think responsibly too.

2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Carry a bag for your garbage and do some karma yoga and pick up what other people have dropped.

3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Never, ever buy or accept Styrofoam, yeah it&rsquo;s cheap and it weighs virtually nothing but it&rsquo;s non-recyclable and never decomposes. If that&rsquo;s all the chaiwalla has it&rsquo;s better to not have a chai. Speak to people that use it and explain how harmful it is for the environment.

4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Do not use disposable plastic or paper plates and cups, request reusable ones that can be washed and re-used. When hiking carry your own reusable plate and a cup, it&rsquo;s easy!

5. &nbsp; &nbsp; Reduce plastic by re-filling your own water bottle wherever possible.

6. &nbsp; &nbsp; Most of the snack items you buy from shops come in non-recyclable packaging so try and reduce your junk food intake.&nbsp;

'I travelled to many countries...and India was the country I liked the least due to the garbage everywhere', says Jodie Underhill

Jodie Underhill came to India in December 2008 as a tourist and then volunteered at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The apalling situation of garbage piling was something that bothered her every single day. In April 2009, she decided to do something about it and eventually, Waste Warriors happened. The vision is 'A healthier India with improved living standards and a better quality of life where waste workers are valued and respected for their work'. What motivated you to stay back in India and start Waste Warriors? I travelled to many countries during my twenties and India was the country I liked the least due to (the presence of) garbage everywhere. I never imagined for a minute that I would return here, let alone stay! I didn’t come to India with the intention of starting an NGO, I just started clean-up drives after feeling so sad at seeing garbage everywhere. That led to educating children, installing dustbins and starting a door-to-door waste collection service. Registering (the NGO) was natural. We then started doing waste management events, doing more and more projects, employing more staff, expanding to Dehradun and Corbett Tiger Reserve and, now, (we) employ 60 people. What was it about Mcleodganj and Triund that you decided to start your operation there? I travelled from the South of India to the North over a two-month period and I saw garbage absolutely everywhere and the train journeys were particularly heartbreaking. Himachal was my final destination and I couldn’t take it any longer. I felt like I just had to do something. Anyone who has been to Triund knows why I started the project there, it’s a very special and magical place. The first thing I saw when I reached there was the beauty of the mountain range. Then I looked over the edge and saw the entire place was littered. We not only cleaned the place but also gave bags to the shops and guest houses and asked them to stop burning and dumping their waste, we promised to come back in a week and collect it. We did just that and this was the start of the weekly waste collection service. It took about a year of cleaning every week to clear the litter down the slopes at Triund. 'Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a really fabulous job' (Others) × Why do you think people throw their waste and leftovers when they visit a place. Is it a habit or they don't care about the environment or is there another reason? Most people are not even aware that they are littering, they just naturally drop their packet when they finish eating. When asked why they litter, people often respond with “My one little piece of trash doesn’t make a difference”. Sadly they don’t realise that those small pieces accumulate and it’s the reason that India has such a massive garbage problem. People have become so used to seeing garbage everywhere that they have become desensitised to the issue. However, when the same people go to the West, they use the dustbins, they don’t spit or urinate in public, they become more responsible, thinking before they act. The same can be done here in India with a bit of effort. How has the local government supported Waste Warriors and what more can they do? I hate answering this question as I always feel that if I tell the truth, it will jeopardise the future of our organisation. But the fact of the matter is that there has been little help from the government. We have made a decision to employ someone for government liaison in future as it’s a tricky and delicate matter but one of utmost importance. The models we have can only be replicated on large scale if we work with the local administration. I have invested so much time and effort but have had no success. We were so excited when the chief minister of Himachal said he would help to save our Dharamsala project. But five weeks down, no help has come. We are still relying on public donations. What has been the really challenging and also the most satisfying aspect of running Waste Warriors? The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness and change their mindsets towards waste. The most satisfying part is watching the organisation grow, seeing our staff blossom, hearing from people whose lives we have impacted and seeing nature the way it’s supposed to be – garbage free. We love working with kids too as it doesn’t take them long to grasp how important our work is and how they as individuals have the power to make a difference. I know that one day, many of them will grow up and be in positions of power and will make decisions and run their businesses in a way that can benefit their environment and the health of the people around them. The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness (Others) × How are women contributing to the cause? We employ 60 people and 23 of those are women. Minakshi Pandey, head of the Corbett project, is a force to be reckoned with and we have strong female leaders in project management, finance, education and administration too. Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a fabulous job. We work with a number of girls' schools here in Dehradun and women make up around 50 per cent of our volunteer base. What can we do to protect nature from the garbage menace? 1. Don't litter, not even a sweet wrapper, a cigarette butt or the corner of your chip packet! Speak to people who litter and try and encourage them to think responsibly too. 2. Carry a bag for your garbage and do some karma yoga and pick up what other people have dropped. 3. Never, ever buy or accept Styrofoam, yeah it’s cheap and it weighs virtually nothing but it’s non-recyclable and never decomposes. If that’s all the chaiwalla has it’s better to not have a chai. Speak to people that use it and explain how harmful it is for the environment. 4. Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Do not use disposable plastic or paper plates and cups, request reusable ones that can be washed and re-used. When hiking carry your own reusable plate and a cup, it’s easy! 5. Reduce plastic by re-filling your own water bottle wherever possible. 6. Most of the snack items you buy from shops come in non-recyclable packaging so try and reduce your junk food intake.

International Women's Day: India's waste warriors clean hiking trails and forests

Solo trekking is an experience in itself. Once a year, I pack my bags and leave for the mountains to unwind from the daily hustle. While trekking, you can afford to be distant from the world and yet socialise with those on similar journeys. I have been lucky to do a couple of treks before embarking on my journey to the Everest Base Camp. Some trails I trekked before was Valley of Flowers, Roopkund and Deoriatal Chandrashila Peak trek.

I did the Everest Base Camp Trek in March, 2016, and these are some solo trekking tips:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Start early</li>
</ul>

It is always advisable to start early as the sun becomes too harsh after 10 am in the morning. And it stays strong&nbsp;till 4 pm. Have a good breakfast and carry around 1.5 to 2 litres of water with you. I trekked with chisopani (tap water) with Ayush (chlorine solution) available in Kathmandu. I did not buy bottled water and used Tang (fruit-flavoured drink) to make the water taste good. But if you want to drink bottled water, it is easily available.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ebc1-20161006012734.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
Valley near the Mount Everest (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Download GPS Trail app</li>
</ul>

Do not worry of getting lost on the trail. There is always enough people to guide you back even if you take the wrong trail. Download GPS trail apps like Alpine quest (Paid) or Mapinr (Free) that will guide you in your trek and load Google Earth files uploaded by people online in kmz or kml format to be safe.

<ul>
	<li>Carry extra cash</li>
</ul>

Keep at least 25% extra Nepali cash from Kathmandu than you estimated for the trip. Many times, flights from and to Lukla get cancelled which could mean going back to Kathmandu by taxi or back to your hotel in Lukla for extra day(s). There could also be a delay due to weather or altitude issues. Average daily expense in the town is around 1500 to 2000 NPR, so carry cash accordingly.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>What to eat</li>
</ul>

Nepal&rsquo;s most popular local dish is Dal Bhat and the best part is that you are offered &lsquo;unlimited&rsquo; servings by almost all eateries. Like me, you could also try their spaghetti, pizza, pasta, macaroni, chow mein etc. Since I am from India, dal rice and vegetables is our staple food as well so I tried the others. Mix up your lunch and dinner so you don&rsquo;t get bored of eating same food.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/monk-20161007063947.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Swayambhunath, an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Budget stay</li>
</ul>

As a solo trekker, you can get a room for as low as 100 NPR per day. The fact that I can speak in Hindi might have had an influence, but it&rsquo;s possible for a solo trekker otherwise also. There are places like Lobuche or Gorakshep where you might have to shell 200 or 300 NPR per day but there are enough lodges in every town. People are friendly, so negotiating is a possibility.&nbsp; 
Conveyance charges 
A taxi from Thamel to airport is 400 to 500 NPR if you negotiate well. I have seen people paying 800 to 1000 NPR.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Health precautions</li>
</ul>

I never used any medicine on this trip. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water, eat well and listen to your body to keep away from altitude sickness. If you start getting a headache or body pain, stop as soon as possible and stay in the nearest town possible. You don&rsquo;t have to go by a strict route.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Backpack</li>
</ul>

Your backpack weight should be 12 kgs or less. Every item you carry has weight. My initial bacpack weight was 16 kgs at the airport and I knew it was too much. So once I landed in Lukla, I went to the teahouse, explained to them that I will stay here on the way back and left around 4 kgs of clothes and other things which I didn&rsquo;t need. It was the best decision on the trip.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Essentials</li>
</ul>

Carry chocolate bars for instant energy. Snickers, mars bars and nuts work best in this case. I carried 20 snicker bars (1 bar per day usage on the trip ) and 1kg of mixed nuts. Snickers on the trek can cost 200 NPR or even more. You should also carry essentials like earplugs for a good night&#39;s sleep, a book or kindle if you like to read in your alone time and some extra socks.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ebc4-20161006012822.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
Pangboche village in Solukhumbu District, Nepal at an altitude of 13,074 feet (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Look around</li>
</ul>

You cannot afford to miss out on anything while trekking. Stop to take photos from phone or digital cameras. The entire journey had something to offer and I wanted to capture it all. I carried my DSLR and just 1 lens which was enough. A second lens will add to the weight so it&rsquo;s your call.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Training-musts</li>
</ul>

I didn&rsquo;t plan on this trip in advance and so was not in the best shape. I trained for exactly 40 days on the treadmill. It included:&nbsp; 
Day 1: Running 5 kms in 30 minutes time with some breaks in between.&nbsp; 
Day 2: Walking at an incline of 7 to 12 with a backpack of 10 kgs for 1 hour with 2 breaks of 5 minutes in between. I did this for 40 days alternating with 4 sundays as breaks.&nbsp; 
Note: I would do weight training on alternate days for half an hour.

<ul>
	<li>Smile</li>
</ul>

Smile and talk to as many people as possible. Be nice to everyone as it always helps if you are a solo traveler. I met some amazing people and forged awesome friendships with them, which will stay with me for a lifetime.&nbsp; 
I wasn&rsquo;t very fit and so took my own time to go about the trip. I saw kids as young as 8 and people in their 70&rsquo;s on this trek. The point is, you can do it with a little passion for trekking and mountains, of course.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The trail: Kathmandu- Lukla &ndash; Phakding &ndash; Namche &ndash; Tengboche &ndash; Pangboche &ndash; Dingboche &ndash; Tukla &ndash; Lobuche &ndash; Gorakshep (EBC &amp; Kalapathar) &ndash; Tukla &ndash; Monjo &ndash; Lukla- Kathmandu

What I carried:&nbsp; 
1 fleece jacket, 1 half sleeve and 1 long sleeve polyester t shirt, 1 waterproof jacket, 1 down jacket (50%), one 2 season sleeping bag, 4 underwears, medicine bag, deodorant, 2 trekking poles (which I gave away in Lukla to the porter association office), 1 waterproof pant, 1 fleece pant, lot of snickers and nuts, 2 &ndash; 3 packets of Tang, 1 book, 1 writing pad and pen, 1 bag cover.&nbsp; 
My backpack is Osprey Farpoint 70 and it&rsquo;s super amazing for treks. All my trekking gear was purchased in Delhi from Decathlon. My shoes are Quechua Forclaz 500. 
&nbsp;

Coming from a trekker, these are some handy tips for a solo trekking experience

Solo trekking is an experience in itself. Once a year, I pack my bags and leave for the mountains to unwind from the daily hustle. While trekking, you can afford to be distant from the world and yet socialise with those on similar journeys. I have been lucky to do a couple of treks before embarking on my journey to the Everest Base Camp. Some trails I trekked before was Valley of Flowers, Roopkund and Deoriatal Chandrashila Peak trek. I did the Everest Base Camp Trek in March, 2016, and these are some solo trekking tips: Start early It is always advisable to start early as the sun becomes too harsh after 10 am in the morning. And it stays strong till 4 pm. Have a good breakfast and carry around 1.5 to 2 litres of water with you. I trekked with chisopani (tap water) with Ayush (chlorine solution) available in Kathmandu. I did not buy bottled water and used Tang (fruit-flavoured drink) to make the water taste good. But if you want to drink bottled water, it is easily available. Valley near the Mount Everest (WION) × Download GPS Trail app Do not worry of getting lost on the trail. There is always enough people to guide you back even if you take the wrong trail. Download GPS trail apps like Alpine quest (Paid) or Mapinr (Free) that will guide you in your trek and load Google Earth files uploaded by people online in kmz or kml format to be safe. Carry extra cash Keep at least 25% extra Nepali cash from Kathmandu than you estimated for the trip. Many times, flights from and to Lukla get cancelled which could mean going back to Kathmandu by taxi or back to your hotel in Lukla for extra day(s). There could also be a delay due to weather or altitude issues. Average daily expense in the town is around 1500 to 2000 NPR, so carry cash accordingly. What to eat Nepal’s most popular local dish is Dal Bhat and the best part is that you are offered ‘unlimited’ servings by almost all eateries. Like me, you could also try their spaghetti, pizza, pasta, macaroni, chow mein etc. Since I am from India, dal rice and vegetables is our staple food as well so I tried the others. Mix up your lunch and dinner so you don’t get bored of eating same food. Swayambhunath, an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley (WION) × Budget stay As a solo trekker, you can get a room for as low as 100 NPR per day. The fact that I can speak in Hindi might have had an influence, but it’s possible for a solo trekker otherwise also. There are places like Lobuche or Gorakshep where you might have to shell 200 or 300 NPR per day but there are enough lodges in every town. People are friendly, so negotiating is a possibility. Conveyance charges A taxi from Thamel to airport is 400 to 500 NPR if you negotiate well. I have seen people paying 800 to 1000 NPR. Health precautions I never used any medicine on this trip. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water, eat well and listen to your body to keep away from altitude sickness. If you start getting a headache or body pain, stop as soon as possible and stay in the nearest town possible. You don’t have to go by a strict route. Backpack Your backpack weight should be 12 kgs or less. Every item you carry has weight. My initial bacpack weight was 16 kgs at the airport and I knew it was too much. So once I landed in Lukla, I went to the teahouse, explained to them that I will stay here on the way back and left around 4 kgs of clothes and other things which I didn’t need. It was the best decision on the trip. Essentials Carry chocolate bars for instant energy. Snickers, mars bars and nuts work best in this case. I carried 20 snicker bars (1 bar per day usage on the trip ) and 1kg of mixed nuts. Snickers on the trek can cost 200 NPR or even more. You should also carry essentials like earplugs for a good night's sleep, a book or kindle if you like to read in your alone time and some extra socks. Pangboche village in Solukhumbu District, Nepal at an altitude of 13,074 feet (WION) × Look around You cannot afford to miss out on anything while trekking. Stop to take photos from phone or digital cameras. The entire journey had something to offer and I wanted to capture it all. I carried my DSLR and just 1 lens which was enough. A second lens will add to the weight so it’s your call. Training-musts I didn’t plan on this trip in advance and so was not in the best shape. I trained for exactly 40 days on the treadmill. It included: Day 1: Running 5 kms in 30 minutes time with some breaks in between. Day 2: Walking at an incline of 7 to 12 with a backpack of 10 kgs for 1 hour with 2 breaks of 5 minutes in between. I did this for 40 days alternating with 4 sundays as breaks. Note: I would do weight training on alternate days for half an hour. Smile Smile and talk to as many people as possible. Be nice to everyone as it always helps if you are a solo traveler. I met some amazing people and forged awesome friendships with them, which will stay with me for a lifetime. I wasn’t very fit and so took my own time to go about the trip. I saw kids as young as 8 and people in their 70’s on this trek. The point is, you can do it with a little passion for trekking and mountains, of course. The trail: Kathmandu- Lukla – Phakding – Namche – Tengboche – Pangboche – Dingboche – Tukla – Lobuche – Gorakshep (EBC & Kalapathar) – Tukla – Monjo – Lukla- Kathmandu What I carried: 1 fleece jacket, 1 half sleeve and 1 long sleeve polyester t shirt, 1 waterproof jacket, 1 down jacket (50%), one 2 season sleeping bag, 4 underwears, medicine bag, deodorant, 2 trekking poles (which I gave away in Lukla to the porter association office), 1 waterproof pant, 1 fleece pant, lot of snickers and nuts, 2 – 3 packets of Tang, 1 book, 1 writing pad and pen, 1 bag cover. My backpack is Osprey Farpoint 70 and it’s super amazing for treks. All my trekking gear was purchased in Delhi from Decathlon. My shoes are Quechua Forclaz 500.

'I regret not having trekked to Everest Base Camp earlier'

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Puneet Pandeya

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.