Lemongrass oil to stop smell from trash

It's a common sight to see people covering their faces while passing by a garbage truck. Motorists speed up to escape the stench.

In order to reduce the stench emanating from garbage trucks across the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will spray lemongrass oil on them. "We will be spraying lemongrass oil on every truck. This will completely reduce the stench," said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Health and Solid Waste Management, BBMP. "This is the only pleasant-smelling oil. We will spray about 15 ml on every garbage truck."

Ten bottles of the oil will be enough to spray on all garbage trucks. The oil costs about Rs 1,000 per litre.

Khan hoped there will be no pungent smell until the garbage trucks reach the waste-processing plants and landfill sites. Six out of the seven waste-processing plants are functional.

Praneeth K Sargur, a regular commuter on Sarjapur Road, said: "It's interesting to know the BBMP is trying this new method to reduce the bad smell. We should see how effective it would be."