Lok Sabha Question No. 1906 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-07
Subject: Mobile Towers and the Radiations Therefrom
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: HARI NARAYAN RAJBHAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1906

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 th  MARCH, 2018

## MOBILE TOWERS AND THE RADIATIONS THEREFROM

†1906. SHRI HARINARAYAN RAJBHAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  mobile  towers  in  the  country  at  present,  State/UT-wise  and  the  standard  norms  for mobile phone tower radiations;
- (b) whether the cases of violation of the said standard norms by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have come to the notice of the Government during each of the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof and the penalty imposed thereon, TSP-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has doubled the penalty for violation of such standards and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the corrective steps taken by the Government to control the defaulting service providers/TSPs?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Madam,  as  on  31-12-2017,  there  are  4,63,159  mobile  towers  in  the  country  installed  by  different Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). The Licensed Service Area (LSA) wise details about number of  mobile towers is enclosed as Annexure-A .

The present Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) radiation limits as laid down for Base Transceiver Station (BTSs) installed at various mobile towers in India are as follows:

| Frequency Range     | E-Field Strength (Volt/Meter)   | H-Field Strength (Amp/Meter)   | Power Density (Watt/Sq. Meter)   |
|---------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 400 MHz to 2000 MHz | 0.434 f ½                       | 0.0011 f ½                     | f / 2000                         |
| 2 GHz to 300 GHz    | 19.29                           | 0.05                           | 1                                |

(f is frequency in MHz)

- (b) Updated  information  regarding  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  wise  details  of  number  of  BTSs found exceeding prescribed EMF radiation limits on actual testing and penalty imposed are being collected and will be provided.
- (c) The Government has doubled the penalty for violation of the prescribed EMF norms from Rs.5 lakhs to Rs.10 lakhs per BTS per incidence with effect from 20.11.2013.
- (d) In order to ensure that all Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) should be compliant to prescribed EMF reference limits/ levels, DoT has issued instructions directing all Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS)/ Unified Access Services (UAS) licensees that all BTSs should be compliant to prescribed EMF reference limits/ levels  and  all  BTSs  should  be  self-certified  as  meeting  the  radiation  norm.  Self-certification  is  submitted  to respective field units of DoT. All new BTS sites start radiating commercially, only after self-certificate has been submitted to relevant TERM Cells. In order to ensure compliance to the prescribed norms of EMF radiation from  mobile  tower,  extensive  audit  of  compliance  of  self-certificates  being  submitted  by  telecom  service providers and Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites is carried out by field units of DoT regularly. In case, any BTS site is found to violate the prescribed EMF norms, actions are taken to levy a penalty of Rs.10 lakh per BTS per incidence including closing of BTS site, if violation persists. Additionally, the BTS sites against which there are public complaints are also tested by field units of DoT.

## Annexure - A

Licensed Service Area (LSA) wise details of mobile towers installed as on31.12.2017

| S.No.   | Name of LSA      | Number of mobile (as on 31.12.2017)   | tower   | installed   |
|---------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------|-------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh   |                                       |         | 36,213      |
| 2       | Assam            |                                       |         | 10,386      |
| 3       | Bihar            |                                       |         | 32,242      |
| 4       | Chennai          |                                       |         | 11,157      |
| 5       | Delhi            |                                       |         | 21,375      |
| 6       | Gujarat          |                                       |         | 26,717      |
| 7       | Himachal Pradesh |                                       |         | 4,982       |
| 8       | Haryana          |                                       |         | 10,270      |
| 9       | Jammu &Kashmir   |                                       |         | 8,080       |
| 10      | Karnataka        |                                       |         | 28,147      |
| 11      | Kolkata          |                                       |         | 10,145      |
| 12      | Kerala           |                                       |         | 16,015      |
| 13      | Mumbai           |                                       |         | 14,883      |
| 14      | Maharashtra      |                                       |         | 36,139      |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh   |                                       |         | 30,937      |
| 16      | North East       |                                       |         | 6,634       |
| 17      | Odisha           |                                       |         | 15,682      |
| 18      | Punjab           |                                       |         | 18,305      |
| 19      | Rajasthan        |                                       |         | 24,725      |
| 20      | Tamilnadu        |                                       |         | 27,707      |
| 21      | UP(E)            |                                       |         | 29,654      |
| 22      | UP(W)            |                                       |         | 24,386      |
| 23      | West Bengal      |                                       |         | 18,378      |
|         | Grand Total      |                                       |         | 4,63,159    |

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