Property hit where signal masts rise
DS Pal of Pal & Associates, Green Park, claims that due to growing awareness about the harmful effects of radiation emitted by mobile towers, properties in areas with a high concentration of cell phone towers are getting somewhat marked down both in price and rentals. Property dealers across the city say that buildings which host mobile phone towers have 10-20 % less market value.
"Forget buying these properties , people don't want to take them on rent even, particularly when they have a choice. If a person is going to invest crores, why would he buy a property with a tower?" asks Pal. According to LK Thakkar, a Defence Colony-based property dealer, while the cost of the building which has the tower is relatively less, other buildings in the vicinity also get affected. "No one wants to buy a house within 100 metres of the building which has the tower. The rates for such properties drop by 10-20 %, and sometimes even more,'' said Thakkar, co-owner of A-One Associates .
There is a high concentration of mobile towers in south and west Delhi. In west Delhi, property dealers say people hesitate in taking such properties on rent. "They prefer to pay extra and look for a place where there are less number of mobile towers. A lot of people who had got the towers installed believing them to be lucrative now want them removed ,'' said Mahesh Mehra, owner of Mehra Property.
Safety and security issues also crop up. "The cellular operators have there own staff deployed at the site. These workers come at odd hours. There is no privacy and the companies don't keep a check on there staff,'' said Rajesh Gupta, owner of east Delhi-based Amba Property Dealer.
In areas like Laxmi Nagar, Rajinder Nagar etc where there is high concentration of mobile towers, people have no option. Areas like Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar are extremely congested . There are at least 10 houses in a 100-metre radius. "These areas have low rentals. So, those looking for cheaper accommodation don't mind living in a building which has a tower but it is definitely not a preferred choice,'' said Kapil Batra, owner of Rajinder Nagar-based Mega Real Estate.
With growing awareness about the harmful effects of radiation emitted by these towers and people asking questions and become more vocal, most resident welfare associations are not giving permission to install these towers in their colony anymore.
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