Foul smell emanating from a poultry farm owned by the animal resources development (ARD) department here has prompted the Malda district administration and the Trinamul Congress-run Englishbazar municipality to take steps to stop the air pollution.

Sumala Agarwalla, the vice-chairpersons of Englishbazar municipality and councillor of ward 2 where the farm owned by the government-run hatchery is located, said she had sought the intervention of the principal secretary and the minister-in-charge of the department to take steps to end the repugnant stink.

Hundreds of residents of places like Green Park, Biswanath More, Krishnakalitala, Government Colony-II, Singhatala and Makdumpur, which are in six municipal wards, have been complaining about the stink.

An official said a similar problem had occurred in September last year.

“We took up the matter with a state-level official then, and the problem was solved. But recently, it has become acute again, and we are taking necessary steps,” he said.

Agarwalla said she was among the affected residents. “People are calling me up day and night. I have brought the matter to the notice of the administration and the senior officials of the ARD department. I have also brought the matter to the attention of the state minister,” she said.

Anindita Gupta, an affected resident, has said they cannot keep the doors and the windows open.

“Acs are on round the clock to keep the smell away. Even going to the roof of the house has become a problem. Along with the smell, feathers of the chicks and their dry excretions are floating with the wind,” said Gupta.

Nitin Singhania, the district magistrate of Malda, said: “We have asked the officials concerned to take measures to address the problem."