India, July 31 -- Beneath Gurugram's gleaming skyscrapers and 'smart city' label lies a deepening garbage crisis that has not only overwhelmed residents but exposed glaring lapses in civic planning. From overflowing garbage bins and waterlogged roads to illegal dumping and open burning of electronic waste, the city is battling a sanitation breakdown - made worse by monsoon rains and civic apathy.

City areas such as Sector 45, 56, 57, 48, 50, Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and many more parts of the city have turned into garbage hotspots, with residents complaining of no regular collection and zero accountability. Despite the appointment of private agencies for e-waste collection, discarded appliances and toxic...