A foul smell continuously emanating from a hatchery run by the West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation (WBLDC) in Malda has become the buzz across the district headquartersduring the festive season.

People from different parts of Englishbazar municipality are ventilating their ire on social media, demanding an immediate solution to the issue that has “made their living unbearable”.

Such discontent among people — at least 10,000 people living in four municipal wards are inconvenienced by the foul odour — has made the district administration instruct the WBLDC to act as fast as possible.

A meeting of officials of the corporation has been convened on October 18 on this issue.

“It is a terrible situation. The foul smell has become a nightmare for us. We are keeping all doors and windows shut to prevent the smell from entering our houses and keeping the air-conditioners on almost round the clock,” said Arabinda Kumar, a retired headmaster of the Malda Zilla School who stays in the Green Park area of the town.

“A few months back, there was a similar problem. The trouble has resurfaced again and this time, on a larger scale. Living here has become an ordeal for us. The officials concerned should intervene to resolve the issue immediately,” said Shinjita Ghosh, another sufferer.

Sumala Agarwalla, the local councilor and also the vice-chairperson of the Trinamool-run Englishbazar municipality, admitted that the grievances of the residents were genuine.

“I have been receiving phone calls from the sufferers even till late at night. I have written to the WBLDC officials about the trouble and have urged the administrations to hold a meeting and find a solution,” she said.

Nitin Singhnia, the district magistrate of Malda, said the SDO of Malda Sadar was sent to the hatchery and the locality to take stock of the situation.

“Officials of the WBLDC officials are coming to assess the situation. We would hold a meeting on October 18 in the presence of all concerned to resolve the issue,” he said.

WBLDC sources said the cleaning of the hatchery had started on a war footing and an anti-pollutant machine imported from Japan for a permanent solution