Life has become unbearable in Ishwaripur village in Deopara union of Godagari, Rajshahi, because of the stench and flies from a layer poultry farm. Chicken droppings are left piled up at the farm day after day, and without proper waste management a foul smell spreads across the whole village. Residents complain that the flies disrupt everything from normal eating to entertaining guests.

Villagers say the situation has become dire over the past three months, with children, the elderly and the sick suffering most. An administrative investigation has confirmed the complaints, but the villagers are angry that no visible action has been taken even though the report was sent to the Department of Environment (DoE).

About 642 people in some 120 families live in Ishwaripur. The farm is owned by a man named Swapan. Residents say flies make it hard even to keep food in the house or eat normally.

Villager Rohena Begum said: "I can't keep curry after cooking it. As soon as food is served, flies land on the rice plate and the curry. I can't feed my family properly. The flies have made our lives miserable." She said the farm used to raise Sonali chickens, and although there was a smell then, there was nothing like today's flies. Now it is hard to live at home with small children, and she said she would go to court if there is no quick remedy.

Housewife Lipi Khatun, who gave birth by surgery a few days ago, said: "Flies sit on the baby's body and face. I have to keep a mosquito net up all the time. Flies swarm as soon as food is kept in the house. I am very worried about my newborn."

Local resident Md Sirajul Islam said relatives have not wanted to visit for the past six months because of the flies. When his son-in-law is served food, flies settle on it, and out of disgust and discomfort he no longer visits either. Normal cooking and eating are disrupted across the village, he said, and sometimes flies even end up in people's mouths with their food.

Villagers said they made written and verbal complaints to the deputy commissioner, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and the DoE. Representatives of the DoE, the Department of Livestock Services and the land office then visited the area, but no effective action has yet been taken.

The Godagari upazila administration's investigation report also found the complaints to be true. It said the stench of poultry waste from the farm was spreading across the village and polluting the environment, disrupting people's normal lives and making it hard even to feed livestock properly. The investigation also found that the pollution had been made worse because no deodorising agent was used at the farm.

The report said that although waste from chick and egg production was kept in a designated place, it should be regularly monitored whether government-approved chemicals were being used to protect the environment. It recommended checking whether the farm's operation was harming local life and taking legal action. Godagari's UNO sent the report to the DoE's Rajshahi office for the necessary action.

Mosa. Tasmina Khatun, deputy director of the DoE's Rajshahi office, said: "We have received the Godagari upazila administration's investigation report. The farm's waste management, odour control and environmental clearance have already been checked, and evidence of violations of the environmental conservation act and rules was found. The necessary legal action will be taken against the farm owner within this week."

Farm owner Swapan was contacted about the allegations but declined to comment.

Villagers demand that the farm's waste be removed quickly, the flies and smell controlled, and regular monitoring put in place. Otherwise, they fear, disease could spread and a major public health crisis could follow.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.