Lok Sabha Question No. 3710 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Radiation Norms
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: TAMRADHWAJ SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3710 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  AUGUST, 2017

## RADIATION NORMS

†3710. SHRI TAMRADHWAJ SAHU:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Telecom Service Providers against whom action has been taken by the Government for non-compliance of radiation norms, State/Union Territory-wise;
- (b) whether  any  rules  regarding  restricting  installation  of  mobile  towers  near residential  areas,  educational  institutions  and  hospitals  have  been  framed  by  the Government and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the States have their own rules for installing mobile towers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Madam,  to  ensure  the  compliance  of  Electromagnetic  Field  (EMF)  radiation norms, field units of Department of Telecom (DoT) [erstwhile Telecom Enforcement, Resource  and  Monitoring  (TERM)  Cells]  carry  out  audit  of  up  to  10%  of  the  Base Transceiver  Stations  (BTSs)  annually  on  random  basis  to  cross  check  the  EMF compliance. During the audit carried out by TERM Cells, total 284 numbers of BTSs installed on various mobile towers by various TSPs have been found exceeding the prescribed EMF radiation limits as on 30.06.2017. The details of these non-compliant BTSs  License  Service  Area-wise  (LSA-wise)  and  Telecom  Service  Providers-wise (TSP-wise) is attached at Annexure-I & Annexure-II respectively. For all these noncompliant BTSs found during testing, TERM Cells have imposed applicable financial penalty 10 Lakhs per BTS on defaulting TSPs as per the prescribed DoT guidelines.
- (b) Madam, with regard to impact of EMF emissions from mobile towers on health,  World  Health  Organization  (WHO)  has  referred  to  approximately  25,000 articles  published  around  the  world  over  past  30  years,  and  based  on  an  in-depth review  of  scientific  literature,  has  stated,  ' Despite  the  feeling  of  some  people  that more  research  needs  to  be  done,  scientific  knowledge  in  this  area  is  now  more extensive than for most chemicals. ' WHO has concluded - ' current evidence does not confirm  the  existence  of  any  health  consequences  from  exposure  to  low  level electromagnetic fields '.

The main conclusion from the WHO reviews is that EMF exposures below the limits  recommended  in  the  International  Commission  on  Non  Ionizing  Radiation Protection  (ICNIRP)  international  guidelines  do  not  appear  to  have  any  known consequence on health.  In  India  norms  for  exposure  limit  for  the  Radio  Frequency Field  (Base  Station  Emissions)  are  already  10  times  more  stringent  than  the  safe limits prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by WHO. Making the norms ten times stricter  than  what  has  been  prescribed  by  ICNIRP  and  recommended  by  WHO, obviates  the  need  for  having  separate  norms  for  special  localities.  Accordingly,  the advisory guidelines issued by DoT to state governments on 01.08.2013 for issue of clearance for installation of mobile towers do not place any restriction on installation of mobile towers near residential area, educational institutions and hospitals etc.

(c) & (d) Madam, BTSs are established by the TSPs at suitable locations, as per their Radio Frequency (RF) network planning for proper coverage of the area and as per  their  service  requirement  to  fulfil  the  license  conditions.  Prior  to  installation  of mobile  towers,  the  TSPs  have  to  obtain  Siting  clearance  from  Standing  Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation (SACFA) of DoT for every site from the point of view of interference with other wireless users, aviation hazards and obstruction to any other existing microwave links. However, siting clearances of DoT are issued without prejudice to other applicable by-laws, rules and regulations of local bodies  such as municipal corporation, Gram Panchayat etc. TSPs have also to obtain necessary right of way related clearances from concerned local authorities before installation of tower. Various local bodies /State Governments have formulated their own policy regarding grant of such permissions for installation of mobile towers.

DoT has issued advisory  guidelines  to  state  governments  on  01.08.2013  for issue  of clearance  for  installation of  mobile  towers.  These  guidelines  list  the documents to be submitted by the Telecom Service Providers/Infrastructure Providers for  obtaining  clearances  from  State  Governments/  Local  Bodies  for  installation  of mobile towers and also suggested actions to be taken by State Governments/ Local Bodies.  While  in  general,  State  Governments/  Local  Bodies  are  following  the guidelines  issued  by  DoT,  however,  some  Local  Bodies/  State  Governments  have also  formulated  their  own  policy  for  grant  of  permissions  for  installation  of  mobile towers. The record of such guidelines issued by the State Governments/ Local Bodies is not maintained by DoT.

Contd…3/-

## Annexure-I

## Licensed Service Area(LSA)-wise non-compliant BTSs on account of violation of radiation norms

| SN   | Name of LSA          | Total BTSs (as on 30-06-2017)   |   No. of non-compliant BTSs on account of violation of radiation norms (as on 30.06.2017) |
|------|----------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh       | 1,19,294                        |                                                                                         0 |
| 2    | Assam                | 30,907                          |                                                                                         2 |
| 3    | Bihar                | 73,261                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 4    | Delhi                | 78,328                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 5    | Gujarat              | 93,479                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 6    | Haryana              | 37,980                          |                                                                                         1 |
| 7    | Himachal Pradesh     | 15,388                          |                                                                                         6 |
| 8    | Jammu and Kashmir    | 22,903                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 9    | Karnataka            | 1,12,107                        |                                                                                        88 |
| 10   | Kerala               | 78,445                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 11   | Kolkata              | 39,693                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 12   | Madhya Pradesh       | 89,165                          |                                                                                        14 |
| 13   | Maharashtra          | 1,27,371                        |                                                                                        14 |
| 14   | Mumbai               | 49,476                          |                                                                                       127 |
| 15   | North East           | 19,563                          |                                                                                         8 |
| 16   | Odisha               | 39,199                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 17   | Punjab               | 65,309                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 18   | Rajasthan            | 77,847                          |                                                                                         1 |
| 19   | Tamilnadu            | 1,30,846                        |                                                                                         0 |
| 20   | Uttar Pradesh (East) | 95,063                          |                                                                                        10 |
| 21   | Uttar Pradesh (West) | 74,648                          |                                                                                         0 |
| 22   | West Bengal          | 54,947                          |                                                                                        13 |
|      | Grand Total          | 15,25,219                       |                                                                                       284 |

Contd…4/-

## Annexure-II

## Telecom Service Providers (TSP)-wise non-compliant BTSs on account of violation of radiation norms

| SN   | Name of TSP              | Total BTSs (as on 30-06- 2017)   |   No. of non-compliant BTSs on account of violation of radiation norms (as on 30.06.2017) |
|------|--------------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1    | Aircel/Dishnet           | 66,320                           |                                                                                        20 |
| 2    | Airtel/BHL               | 3,48,890                         |                                                                                        69 |
| 3    | BSNL                     | 1,33,066                         |                                                                                        10 |
| 4    | IDEA/ABTL                | 2,43,456                         |                                                                                        22 |
| 5    | Loop*                    | 0                                |                                                                                        11 |
| 6    | MTNL                     | 3,147                            |                                                                                         3 |
| 7    | Reliance                 | 48,007                           |                                                                                        32 |
| 8    | Reliance Jio             | 3,34,614                         |                                                                                        10 |
| 9    | SSTL (MTS)               | 7,966                            |                                                                                         1 |
| 10   | Tikona                   | 417                              |                                                                                         0 |
| 11   | TTSL/TTML/Tata           | 64,963                           |                                                                                        34 |
| 12   | Videocon**               | 0                                |                                                                                         2 |
| 13   | Vodafone                 | 2,44,837                         |                                                                                        62 |
| 14   | Telenor/Telewings/Uninor | 29,536                           |                                                                                         8 |
|      | Grand Total              | 15,25,219                        |                                                                                       284 |

- ** M/s Videocon has closed its Telecom Services in May, 2016.

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