India, March 1 -- The black birds are omnipresent. These hawks are perched along the taut lines of the power cables. They are also circling upon the hill.

The garbage hill.

This massive heap of waste, brought daily from across Delhi in hundreds of trucks, claims a portion of the capital's eastern outskirts. The hill in Ghazipur doesn't climax into a peak but fans out in a sort of plateau. This afternoon, the long drain flowing by the garbage hill is shimmering under the bright sun. The water is black, but it still is clearly reflecting the garbage hill, which lies inverted under the blackened surface. This remarkable view is accessed from a narrow road running along the drain. The garbage hill stands on the other side of the drain.

The...