Rights panel issues order on mobile tower radiation

Rights panel issues order on mobile tower radiation

By Express News Service - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

05th August 2013 12:11 PM

The State Human Rights Commission has instructed telecom officials to ensure that mobile towers in Thiruvananthapuram are operating within ‘’allowable’’ radiation limits.

The order issued by Commission chairman Justice J B Koshy has come on a petition filed by Adv S J Jayaram. The Commission has instructed that his petition should be forwarded to the Deputy Director General, Telecom Enforcement Resources and Monitoring (TERM), Kerala, for appropriate action.

 The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and various mobile service providers in the capital city were the respondents in this case. According to the petitioner, mobile towers have been erected across the city flouting norms.

Debate has been strong on the issue of cellphone radiation in recent years and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had even set up an expert committee to study the impact of these towers on birds and animals in 2010. In Kerala, in July, the High Court had observed that there was no proof whether the towers were affecting the health of the people. This observation had been welcomed by cellphone operators.

Central authorities had issued advisories as far back as 2012 after fears were raised concerning radiation from mobile towers. The MoEF, for instance, had issued an advisory to the Department of Telecommunications not to allow mobile phone towers within one kilometre of an existing tower.

According to the petitioner, such norms were being violated in the capital city, where multiple towers are seen within every kilometre.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/Rights-panel-issues-order-on-mobile-tower-radiation/2013/08/05/article1719231.ece