Are mobile towers injurious to health: National Green Tribunal asks Centre

NEW DELHI: Concerned over possible health risk posed by cell phone towers, the National Green Tribunal today directed the Centre to inform it whether the construction of these towers in residential areas would be injurious to humans or not.

The green panel's direction came while hearing a bunch of petitions claiming that mobile phone towers were posing health hazards and "norms are flouted brazenly by all companies involved with installation of mobile towers, having complete disregard and concern for environmental protection".

"We direct Department of Telecommunications ( DoT), Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Development Authority to take clear instructions as to whether the construction and operations of mobile towers particularly in densely populated area or in the park of such locality would be injurious to the human health or environment, if so the extent of such injury and remedies therefor," a bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal also directed them to specifically reply on the nature of electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile towers and "whether such radiation is injurious to human health and environmentally hazardous".

It also asked them to submit remedies and steps that are required to be taken for preventing environment and health hazards resulting from such activity.

During the hearing, advocate Kush Sharma, appearing for DDA, told the bench that mobile-tower radiations are not a "pollutant" or a health hazard.

"Studies carried out by DoT clearly stipulate that cell towers radiations are not dangerous. We have also widely publicised among the masses that these emissions are safe," Sharma said.

The matter is listed for next hearing on September 15.