COAI: There should be no exclusion zone for mobile towers

COAI: There should be no exclusion zone for mobile towers

Somit Sen, TNN | Nov 6, 2013, 03.32 PM IST

COAI director-general has said that DoT norms recognized that mobile towers were "critical infrastructure" with no potential public health hazard.

MUMBAI: In wake of the state government drafting a new policy on cell towers, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has demanded that "emission norms in India were so low that there was no need for any exclusion zone for mobile towers."

This is something which anti-radiation activists have strongly opposed as they say that schools, hospitals, colleges and a few other buildings should be exempted from installation of mobile towers in Mumbai.

COAI director-general Rajan S Mathews, however, said that the DoT norms recognized that mobile towers were "critical infrastructure" with no potential public health hazard and hence, towers were permitted on all locations irrespective of land usage.

"As per the Central norms, there are no exclusion zones or restriction on installation of towers on schools or hospitals as the EMF emision levels in India are 90% lesser and safer than the WHO-approved levels prevalent globally. We, therefore, urge the state to have a policy which allows installation of cell towers on schools, hospitals and other buildings where there is a need to do so in order to provide better mobile connectivity,'' he pointed out.

Mathews further stated, "Despite cellular operators following all norms of WHO and government of India, certain misconceptions are being propagated about cellphones and mobile towers. We reassure citizens that their mobile emissions and that from towers will cause no health hazard."

Dr Vasant Natarajan, professor of Physics at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, said that EMF from mobiles did not have enough energy to "cause cancer or bring about any changes to human cells." Anti-radiation activist Prakash Munshi, however, challenged this view, saying that the radiation levels in Mumbai was very high and caused serious health hazards.

Cellular operators have demanded that the state government, which will soon finalise a new policy on cell towers, should not deviate from the Central (DoT) guidelines issued in August this year. Else, this could lead to serious problems of "network coverage" for cellphone users, specially in Mumbai.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/telecom/COAI-There-should-be-no-exclusion-zone-for-mobile-towers/articleshow/25320463.cms