Operators in a fix over mobile towers, The Government of India stipulated 1,000 milliwatts as safety limit for EMF emissions. Thom are about 16,000 mobile towers In Andhra Pradesh
Operators in a fix over mobile towers
As a series of protests are erupting throughout Andhra Pradesh against the emotion of mobile towers within their vicinity, the issue of electromagnetic radiation, its effects and the guidelines to set up a tower came to the fore once again.
While the cellular operators maintain that the effects from the cellular towers is purely at misapprehension which is increasingly making it difficult for them to find a spot to construct a lower. the public on the other hand are still of the opinion that the radiation may pose a serious threat to their health.
The Government of India stipulated 1,000 milliwatts as safety limit for EMF emissions. Thom are about 16,000 mobile towers In Andhra Pradesh. The Cellular Operators Association of India has been advocating that there is no harm with the cell phone towers.
Speaking to this correspondent, B. Satyanarayana, president of Sai Apartments Owners‘ Welf are Association in v’isakhapalnam. said. “Due to the two cell towers on our apartment, we are experiencing a spate of heaith problems such as skin diseases and eurological problems, particularly the residents of the flfth floor.
He requested the officials to intervene in this issue for removal of these towers. On the flip side. the Cellular Operators‘ Association of India (COAI) has been conducting work shops on mobile towers throughout India. advocating that there is no harm with the towers.
P Ramakrishna, principal adviser of COAI, said that the Teleoom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cells penalise the operators who were found deviating from the stipulated LOOK! milliwatts per square meter (the highest safety limit of radiation emissions is penalised with 10 lakh fine. He also said that during an inspection in December 2014, the maximum emission level recorded in Visakhapatnam was 131 milliwatts, a way lesser than the higher limit. Three days ago, people of Resuvanipalem in Visakhapatnam staged a protest and stopped the
construction works of a new mobile tower fearing the harmful effects of radiation. The telecom operator had to continue the works by deploying police. Though the jury is still out, speaking to this correspondent, some Vizagites asked the government to deploy technologies that are being followed overseas in order to avoid erection of towers near hospitals. educational institutions. sensitive buildings and thickly populated areas.