Delhi pleads against cell towers

NEW DELHI: The growing number of mobile phone towers in the capital seems to have raised alarm bells in the power corridors. With no defined standards to check harmful electromagnetic radiation (EMR) being emitted from these towers, Delhi Government has sought Centre's help in the matter.

"There are around 3,000 towers of cellular service providers and daily one or two tower is being added. However, there is no defined standards for safe radiation levels or say data about how much radiation is being emitted from them," a senior Delhi Government official told PTI here.

Also, in the absence of any legislation, the government is helpless to take any decision in the issue, he said giving instance of a case where some villagers recently stopped installation of a tower in their neighbourhood.

Though there is a draft guideline prepared by the Telecom Engineering Centre and under consideration of the department of telecom in this regard, the official said that given the "clout" which the cell phone manufacturers enjoy, it is not easy to tighten noose around them.

"It is high time that we have a proper legislation in place to bring the cell phone towers under legal framework," he said.

He pointed out that phones and base station antennae used by telecom operators radiate energy that heats up tissues and may be harmful to human beings, especially children.

Concurs Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof J Behari, who is conducting a research in this field, "It is not only in India that such things are creating panic among people, many years back, WHO had warned countries to adopt serious measures towards this possible hazard.

"Many countries including Canada, Germany, Italy, China, US, Sweden etc have implemented various legislative measures in this direction," he added.

"Pending legislation, at least we can have some stringent monitoring mechanism that can ensure implementation of guidelines to safeguard human beings against such possible undesired effects," adds VP Sandlas, former chief controller of Research and Development wing of DRDO.

He said even former president APJ Kalam was concerned at the increased use of radio frequencies because of ever increasing number of mobile phones and expansion of mobile communication networks.

Quoting Kalam with whom he worked at DRDO, Sandlas said, "he (Kalam) was of the view that in addition to creating mutual electromagnetic interference, these are causing excessive electromagnetic pollution and electromagnetic radiation hazards."

China has imposed stringent guidelines to prevent harmful effects of the radiation from cell phones and towers but In India we are yet to take up the issue seriously, he said stressing on need to have more study in the field.