Study on mobile radiation begins

NEW DELHI: At least 17 top scientific institutions in the country, including AIIMS and IIT Delhi, have been commissioned by the Union government to address concerns about radiation emitted from mobile phones and phone towers causing illnesses.

Sources said funds ranging from Rs 22 lakh to Rs 2 crore, as demanded, have already been allocated for the research by the department of science and technology.

TOI spoke to officials who said the move is aimed to review different aspects of the health impact at the earliest so that action or remedial measures can be taken to save people from potential consequences. The Indian Council of Medical Research is also conducting a study but that is a prospective one and may take longer, said an official.

"The projects awarded to the 17 institutions are to be completed in a maximum of 36 months while the minimum time period is 18 months," a senior official said. He added that local-level research is needed as those conducted abroad may not determine the effect on Indians due to varying climates.

In 2011, an inter-ministerial committee had said mobile phone towers should not be installed near high-density residential areas, schools, playgrounds and hospitals after reviewing then available research some of which held that radiation from mobile phones and towers posed serious health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances. The committee pointed to research which claimed that disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows from big cities had been due to radiation from mobile phone towers.

The World Health Organization also labelled exposure to radiation emitted from cellphones as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". However, cellphone operators have been resisting curbs on installing towers saying there is still no evidence on the cause-and-effect relationship between the exposure and health hazard, a fact conceded by many senior scientists.

There is fear among the public who blame exposure to radiation for rising incidence of cancer. Recently, residents in some parts of Noida snapped off power connection to some mobile phone towers. Connectivity was badly affected. "If cellphone towers are targeted without evidence, it will hamper business as well as lead to public inconvenience. We must wait for results of the study before coming to any conclusion," said a cellular operator.