Lok Sabha Question No. 2474 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-09
Subject: Harmful Radiation Levels
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: DUSHYANT SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2474

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2018

## Harmful Radiation Levels

## 2474. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  introduced/  proposes  to  introduce  a  system  to  check  the various harmful radiation levels in home, workplaces and industry;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to introduce a safeguard mechanism through a policy or a legislation in order to regulate the radiation levels in such places; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (d) Comprehensive regulatory framework exists for safe uses of ionizing radiations  (e.g.  x-rays,  gamma  rays,  rays  consisting  of  alpha,  beta,  neutrons  etc.)  from radiation applications in the field of industry, medicine, research and nuclear installations and regulatory  control  over  these  is  being  exercised  by  the  Atomic  Energy  Regulatory  Board (AERB).  The  Atomic  Energy  Act,  1962  and  various  Rules  including  the  Atomic  Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules (AE (RP) R), 2004 issued under this Act forms the main basis of the  framework.    As  per  the  AE  (RP)  R,  2004,  license  is  issued  for  possession  of  ionising radiation sources. Provision of radiation detection system is one of the mandatory condition for use and handling of such radiation sources.

With regard to Electromagnetic Filed (EMF), norms prescribed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for exposure limit for the Radio Frequency Field (Base Station Emissions) are already 10 times more  stringent than the safe limits prescribed by International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). All new mobile Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites start  radiating  commercially  only  after  ensuring  adherence  to  prescribed  norms  and  after submission  of  certificate  to  this  effect  to  relevant  Telecom  Enforcement  Resource  & Monitoring (TERM) field offices of DoT.  In order to ensure compliance to the prescribed stricter  precautionary  norms  of  EMF  radiation  from  mobile  tower,  extensive  audit  of compliance of self-certificates being submitted by telecom service providers and BTS sites is carried out by TERM field units of DoT.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued an advisory on use  of  Mobile  Towers  to  minimize  their  impact  on  wildlife  including  birds  and  bees  vide Office  Memorandum  dated  9 th August  2012.  The  advisory  has  been  circulated  by  the Ministry to the organizations concerned including State Environment and Forest Departments, and local bodies, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and DoT, for their information and requisite action.

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