NEW DELHI: The theme of rags to riches hasn't been as literal perhaps as in the life of Jaiprakash Chaudhary . The former ragpicker , who prefers to go by his nickname of Santu, started life Delhi two decades ago, earning at most Rs 150 a day rummaging through garbage for recyclables. He has lectured in places such as Copenhagen, Luxembourg and Brazil on waste and recycling and even changed the way his villagers considered his work. Even today some people believe that waste pickers are thieves and many people look at them with contempt," says Santu. The displacements caused financial losses, but I held on to hope," says Santu.In 2012 he established his waste segregation centre in Sikandarpur in Ghaziabad, away from human settlements.

Source: Times of India July 10, 2017 18:33 UTC