Radiation emitted from mobile towers has no ill effects on human health: Experts

After conducting in-depth tests on 1532 mobile towers, experts on Thursday said that low-powered, non-ionizing radiation emitted from the cell towers has no ill effects on human health.

Officials said that the North East Licensed Service Area (NE-LSA) of the Department of Telecommunications has tested 1532 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) from April to November this year and all the mobile towers have been found compliant as per DoT norms on electric and magnetic fields radiation.

While addressing a webinar on electromagnetic radiations from mobile towers, Dr Tushar Kant Joshi, Advisor, Ministry of Health and Director, OEM Programme, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, assured that "it has been found that low powered, non-ionizing radiation emitted from cell towers have no ill effects on human health"

Referring to the scientific research, Joshi said that it becomes extremely essential to address the spread of misinformation and provide an authentic view of health concerns related to mobile towers. It is also important to be informed that no scientific or medical evidence is available to corroborate the argument used against mobile towers, he pointed out.

Shillong-based Senior Deputy Director General of the North-East LSA Ravi Goel highlighted the need for telecom services in India and pressed on the challenges faced by the stakeholders of the industry.

"We are venturing into an age of hyper-connectivity where the government is making every effort to densify telecom infrastructure and telecom towers as these are the backbone of Indian mobile communications.

"In order to magnify the efforts, it is important that the fear surrounding the theories about ill effects of EMF radiations from mobile towers are addressed factually to dispel such misconceptions," Goel stated.

Deputy Director General of North-East LSA (Compliance) A.K.Jain said that the government has adopted one of the most stringent emission standards for mobile towers in the world. He said: "We follow norms that are 10 times stricter than what has been prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by WHO globally. DoT continuously monitors the EMF emission levels from towers across India and ensures compliance with the stipulated emission norms throughout the country."

The experts in the awareness event also mentioned that unscrupulous companies, agencies and individuals cheat the public by promising them hefty monthly rental payments for the installation of mobile towers. Such fraudsters ask the public to deposit money in their personal, and companies' accounts under various names against security deposits, application fees, registration charges, stamp duty, and government tax under Telecom Act among others. Further, it was also highlighted that use of telecom services through SIM cards and signals of foreign service providers in Indian Territory violates the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and persons involved in such types of acts are liable to punishment as per the act and other acts and rules.

An official statement said that India holds the potential to lead the telecommunications technology sector across the globe. Misconceptions among a section of the population about the health hazards of EMF radiation should not override the factual information made available through scientific research.

Eight High Courts of India have also upheld the same view and have delivered judgments that disprove all such unfounded fears and misguided activism that is posing a severe challenge to the overall growth and connectivity of the country, the statement said.

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