India, Aug. 2 -- Just beyond Gurugram's shimmering skyline dotted with luxury condominiums, golf courses and bustling commercial centres lies a stark reminder of the city's neglected underbelly: the Bandhwari landfill.

Situated along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, this 30-acre dumping ground has become a towering symbol of environmental neglect, poor governance, and the mounting cost of urbanisation.

Once a relatively untouched area near the ecologically sensitive Aravalli range, Bandhwari today is a colossal 37-metre-high garbage mountain. With over 1,600 tonnes of mixed waste arriving daily - 1,000 tonnes from Gurugram and 600 from Faridabad - the landfill is now regarded as one of the biggest environmental and public health threats in ...