India, May 26 -- Every morning, like clockwork, over 3,000 soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles march out of their barracks and head for the parade ground. But to get there, they must first duck under a narrow, crumbling culvert, entirely covered in garbage, that straddles a foul-smelling drain. Four times a day-twice before breakfast and twice after dusk-this is the path they must cross, navigating muck and stench.

This isn't an image from a neglected outpost or a border camp.

It's the daily reality inside the headquarters of the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, a short walk from the bustling Delhi Cantonment Metro Station.

And with monsoon clouds beginning to gather, their path ...