Lok Sabha Question No. 5560 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Cell Phone Towers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5560 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH  APRIL, 2022

## CELL PHONE TOWERS

## †5560. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the  directions  issued  by  the  Government  to  install  cell  phone  towers  in  cities  and villages;

(b) whether  these  cell  phone  towers  can  be  installed  in  dense  localities  and  if  so,  the details thereof;

(c) whether the best standards and practices are being adopted while giving permission to install cell phone towers and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  on  the  harmful  effects  of  the emitted radiation by cell phone towers and its effects on human health and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether it is a fact that people are not allowing the mobile towers to be installed in their areas because of fear of radiation; and

(f) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  number  of  such  cases  reported  so  far  in Rajasthan along with other reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) Sir, Mobile towers are installed by Telecom Service Provider/ Infrastructure Providers to improve coverage and capacity of their networks subject to techno-commercial feasibility, the  rollout  obligation.  The  Government  has  set  up  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF) for planning and implementing various schemes to set up mobile towers and provide telecommunication services to people in the rural and remote areas of the country.

(b) & (c) DoT  follows  the  standards  and  best  practices  recommended  by  relevant International agencies/ organisations such as World Health Organization (WHO), International  Commission  on  Non-Ionizing  Radiation  Protection  (ICNIRP),  International Advisory Committee (IAC) on Electro Magnetic Field (EMF), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and various Study Groups under ITU for monitoring global developments in this regard. The EMF emission norms in India are 10 times more stringent than  that  as  prescribed  by  ICNIRP.  This  obviates  the  need  of  having  separate  norms  for different localities.

Department of Telecommunications has issued advisory guidelines, dated 01.08.2013, to  State  Governments  for  issue  of  clearance  for  installation  of  mobile  towers.  These guidelines to State Governments are applicable to all areas including residential areas and do not place any restriction on installation of mobile towers in densely populated areas.

(d) An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), setup in 2010 to examine the effect of Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) emission from Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) and mobile phones, after  examining various  national  and  international  studies  on  the  environmental  and  health related  concerns  due  to  EMF,  had,  inter-alia,  indicated  that  most  of  the  laboratory  studies were unable to find a direct link between exposure to radio frequency radiation and health; and the scientific studies as yet have not been able to confirm a cause and effect relationship between radio frequency radiation and health.

Also, a committee, constituted by Hon'ble High Court Allahabad including Members from  IITs  of  Kharagpur,  Kanpur,  Delhi,  Roorkee,  Bombay  and  from  other  scientific institutions  of  the  country  including  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  and  All India  Institute  of  Medical  Science  (AIIMS)  Delhi,  in  their  report  submitted  in  2014,  has, inter-alia, noted - ' ...  On the basis of scientific evidences, studies and reports available, it has  been  found  that  there  is  no  conclusive  evidence  about  the  stated  dangers  of  EMF radiation from mobile BTS tower... ' The Committee has noted that ' there are no conclusive evidence  to  establish  any  causal  link  between  the  effect  of  EMF  radiation  from  BTS  with biological effects  described  in  cell  models,  animals  or  humans,  and  any  possible  resulting health effects .'

Further, a joint initiative was launched by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Department of Telecommunications  (DoT),  wherein  nineteen  research  have  been  conducted  to  study possible  impact  of  EMF  exposure  from  mobile  towers  and  handsets  on  life  i.e.  Humans, Living  Organisms,  Flora  &  Fauna  and  Environment.  At  present,  the  studies  are  nonconclusive.

(e) Yes,  there  have  been  some  instances  where  people  are  not  allowing  setting  up  of mobile towers in their areas due to apprehension about EMF radiation.

(f) As  per  information  available  with  DoT,  about  137  Public  Grievances  have  been received against installation of mobile tower. In addition to that, 12 court cases are pending in Rajasthan against installation of mobile tower.

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