Pakistan, March 29 -- Mehmood Booti has a long history of serving as a dumping site. During the Black Death epidemic, famines under Akbar's regime, and the War of Independence, it was used as a burial ground. This vast area on the periphery of ancient Lahore was once considered abominable and remained neglected for quite some time. Over the years, it became a dumping ground for debris and waste. In 1997, the area was officially designated as Lahore's primary landfill site, a role it fulfilled until 2016, when a larger landfill at Lakhodair took over the function.

The once abandoned and hazardous site is now undergoing a transformation into a highly usable, energy-generating space. The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has undertake...