Citizens can check cell tower radiation

Citizens will soon be empowered to verify whether the radiation emission levels emanating from cellphone towers in their locality are within permissible limits.

With no scientific study available yet in the world confirming that cell towers are health hazards, and apprehensions among people about living near such towers increasing, the state government is coming out with a set of guidelines to do a balancing act.

The state government will direct local bodies not to give permission for installation of towers on the premises of schools and hospitals as children and patients are more susceptible to radiation. The government will also fix a onetime fee ranging from `10,000 to `1 lakh from the operator.

“We cannot wish away mobile phones in the present era and towers are needed for the phones to work. We are formulating guidelines keeping in view the uproar over clearances and objections," IT secretary

A fine of ` 5 lakh will be levied on an operator if any cellphone tower is found to exceed the stipulated radiation limit

Sanjay Jaju said.

The municipal administration and urban development department has prepared uniform guidelines and circulated the draft to the IT department for its suggestions.

The guidelines say that people should approach the Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring cells, run by the telecom authorities department in all district headquarters, to lodge complaints if they suspect that the towers are not meeting radiation standards or are structurally unsafe.

The TERM cells will conduct random checks to assess the emission levels in general and attend to all specific complaints.