BENGALURU: Fear and helplessness have forced residents of 8th Cross, JC Nagar, to put up with numerous hardships caused by a milk distribution agency, which set up shop on the ground floor of a building in this residential area a year ago.
The loss of sleep caused by trucks zooming in and out of the area, the noise of plastic cartons being dumped on the footpath, and disturbance caused by the whirring of mammoth exhaust fans required for its cold storage unit, are taking a toll on health in Kempaiah Block.
Repeated pleas to the owner running the business are cold-shouldered, say residents. A complaint letter, signed by 16 families, to the BBMP health department on Queen’s Road in December 2018, explaining their problems and the illegality of the business, went unanswered. Oral complaints to the JC Nagar police made a couple of days ago also went unheard.
Among the residents severely affected is a senior citizen with a heart problem, residing opposite the milk outlet. Fatha Ahmed Khan, an IT professional and resident, says, “The aged person comes out of his house once every few days and explains his health problems to the staff at the milk outlet, but they are ignored.”
Khan spoke on the problems his family faces. “I have two kids below the age of 3. I don’t allow them to step out of the house for fear the trucks might mow them down. The noise begins at 4am. I want to know whether a major commercial establishment can set up shop here.”
The building owner does not reside here and residents are unable to contact him.
“Instead of earning Rs 10,000 as rent, he gets over Rs 25,000 for a commercial outlet. Residents are afraid of approaching milk outlet owner Shameer Pasha, fearing his muscle power and clout,” adds a resident.
Yunus Mohammed Khan, another resident, says the noise begins at 4am and goes on till 4pm. “It is illegal. Shameer does not have a licence to run the business. They have encroached the footpath outside the shop. School vans find it tough to enter the area as autorickshaws and milk trucks are parked here,” he said.
Shivegowda, Medical Officer (Health), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, assured this reporter that he would visit the road. “Let me see if the outlet has the required trade licence. If not, I will shut it down,” he said.
Neither the agency owner nor anyone from the Karnataka Milk Federation responded to repeated calls by this reporter.