Residents of Anjenaya Nagar on Monday ransacked the office of Belagavi District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Societies Union Ltd. in Mahantesh Nagar in protest against the alleged pollution caused by the unit. Windowpanes and crates at the dispatch section were damaged.

The residents alleged that black ash emanating from the chimney of the unit was entering their houses and it was getting mixed with their food. The air in the atmosphere was filled with carbon dioxide and was posing a health hazard, particularly for children and senior citizens. Their houses and vehicles were covered with dark layers of carbon particles. The residents alleged that complaints lodged with the officials of the unit were in vain.

The immediate provocation for Monday’s attack was the suffocation caused by a thick cloud of black ash that entered their houses. “What else we could do? All our earlier requests were ignored,” they told presspersons. They pointed out that many felt irritation in their throats and nostrils. Some had breathing problems and cough, and irritation on the skin and in the eye. There was a foul smell in the atmosphere too.

The residents were angry against officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board for ignoring the issue. On learning about the incident, union chairman Vivek Patil rushed to the spot and promised to take corrective measures immediately. He also promised to convene a meeting on Tuesday when the residents demanded that the milk unit be shifted from the residential area to a safer locality outside the city.

An official of the Belgavi City Corporation said a notice would be issued to the KSPCB immediately. Later, water jets were pressed in to service to wash a few houses.