Dumpsites across urban India symbolise the failure of solid waste management systems, often escalating into ecological and public health disasters. The Brahmapuram dumpsite in Kochi, Kerala, presents a compelling case study for examining these failures and their intersection with ecological resilience and public policy. Brahmapuram has experienced a series of dumpsite fires, with the most catastrophic fire on 2 March 2023, which released toxic emissions, engulfed the city in hazardous smoke, and prompted widespread judicial and public outcry. The Kerala High Court likened the situation to a ‘gas chamber,’ triggering urgent legal and administrative responses. This chapter critically examines waste governance in Kochi through a qualitative, two-phase quasi-longitudinal case study drawing on primary data from 2012 and 2025. Ecologically, the site is highly vulnerable, as it is situated on reclaimed marshland that is ill-suited for waste management infrastructure, and the chronic accumulation of unsegregated waste and inadequate processing systems has created massive trash mounds, making the area prone to spontaneous combustion and environmental degradation. From a policy perspective, Brahmapuram reflects systemic weaknesses characterised by reactive, fragmented interventions and repeated failure of public-private partnerships. Yet post-crisis developments signal a shift towards accountability. Responses from the Kerala High Court, National Green Tribunal, and State Pollution Control Board have mandated penalties, investigations, and operational upgrades, revealing emergent resilience within a struggling system. Situating Brahmapuram within urban ecological vulnerability and Anthropocene discourses, this chapter traces a difficult transition from ecological risk towards sustainability.