Two companies in Shanghai's Qingpu District accused of discharging noxious fumes have suspended their operations two years after local people began complaining to environment officials about the problem.

According to a report broadcast by Shanghai Television on Monday evening, teachers at Qingpu Fengxi Middle School said they first became aware of the foul smells emanating from several nearby factories in 2014.

Despite repeated calls to a public complaints hotline, no action was taken to rectify the situation.

According to the TV report, the Qingpu District Environmental Protection Bureau said only that it had fined an unnamed company for illegally discharging gases, but that no further action was taken.

A teacher from the school, who was not named, said the pollution had been particularly bad in recent days.

“I have been coughing, and have had a headache and sore throat since last week due to the smell,” she said.

Students were also heard complaining of dizziness and loss of appetite due to the malodorous conditions.

The bureau told Shanghai Daily yesterday that following the TV report it contacted three companies accused of discharging noxious fumes and two of them — Shanghai Shengteng Printing Co and Shanghai Lirui Furniture Co — subsequently agreed to suspend their operations pending renovations.

A third company — Shanghai Rongsheng Painting Co — took no action and as of yesterday was still operating as normal.

An environment official said on condition of anonymity that the bureau did not have the authority to order companies to halt their business, and had therefore applied to the district people’s court for a compulsory order against the paint factory.

It did not say why no action was taken until the matter was reported on television.