21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Garbage Mountains!

A man scavenges for recyclables as smoke billows from a burning garbage mound at one of the largest landfill sites- Bhalswa, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India on June 5, 2022. Piles of untreated garbage, coupled with rising temperatures, lead to excess emission of methane from such landfills, often resulting in blazes.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: New Delhi, India
Camera: ILCE-6400
Copyright: © Mayank Makhija