Monday, July 15, 2013

No harmful effects associated with telecom towers: Kerala High Court

No harmful effects associated with telecom towers: Kerala High Court

TT Correspondent |  |  15 Jul 2013
Amid raging debates on health hazards associated with the radiations released by telecom towers a Kerala High Court Bench has observed that prima facie there is no evidence linking any harmful effects of Telecom Towers on people. It however said that the issue still being debated across the world.

It also said that if a company has obtained the necessary licences and permits, they cannot be obstructed from erecting and commissioning Towers.

Welcoming the Kerala High Court’s observations Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) welcomes the Kerala High Court order has said that there is no evidence of adverse effects on people’s health due to EMF emissions from the antennas on mobile towers (mobile towers).


The court further stated that mobile telecommunication towers being harmful for people is a debatable subject across the world.

The court’s decision is in response to a writ petition (WP 24569/2012) filed by Indus Towers Limited seeking police protection for erecting towers at Peringmala in Nedumangad, Kerala.

Commenting on the order, Rajan S Mathews, Director General COAI, said: “We welcome the decision of the Honourable High Court of Kerala. We are fully committed to the sensitivities and concerns of our customers and believe that this landmark order will debunk several myths propagated by certain groups.  I am sure the verdict of the Kerala High Court will go a long way in the removal of fears about the safety of EMF emission from telecom towers all across India. He further added that citizens of India now enjoy safety limits on EMF emission lower than citizens in over 90 % of the countries of the world, post the Government of India lowering the safety limits by 90% last September, for "abundant caution".

COAI said that India’s mobile industry complies and conforms to norms mandated by the Department of Telecom (DoT) which lowered by 90%, the norms mandated by international regulatory bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).


It may be recalled that a study conducted by IIT Bombay found that people living within 10 m proximity of telecom towers are exposed to as much as 10,000 -1,00,00,000 times more radiations than is required for mobile signal strength.

The government has recently ordered new cut-down levels bringing them down to 1/10th of present emitted radiation levels, which may not negate the problem completely. As the HOD of Electrical Engineering at IITB, Professor Girish Kumar agrees, it should have been restricted to 1/1000th or, if possible, to 1/10,000th of the current levels as health problems have even appeared at 1/1000th level.


http://www.telecomtiger.com/PolicyNRegulation_fullstory.aspx?passfrom=breakingnews&storyid=18013&section=S174

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