Lok Sabha Question No. 1055 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-02
Subject: Radiation Caused by Towers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK, S. RAJENDRAN, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI, SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1055 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  MARCH,  2016

## RADIATION CAUSED BY TOWERS

1055.  SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

SHRI S. RAJENDRAN:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that electromagnetic radioactive waves emitted from the mobile telephone towers particularly those installed in thickly populated areas cause health hazard to humans, birds and domestic animals;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  types  of  health  hazards  likely  to  be  caused  by  the radioactivity of the mobile towers;
- (c) whether the Ministry has issued any guidelines with reference to the installation of Telecom Towers in residential colonies and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Ministry  has  set  any  Base  Trans  receiver  Station  Norms  for installation of mobile telephone towers and if so, the level of radiation activity permitted therein;
- (e) if so, whether the urban/rural local bodies are entitled to direct the removal of the mobile telephone towers; and
- (f) whether  the  Ministry  has  in  its  possession  the  list  of  mobile  telephone  towers directed to be removed by the courts and the amount of penalties imposed on telecom service providers?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) & (b) Madam, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to examine the effect of Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) Radiation from base stations and mobile phones was constituted on 24.08.2010. In its report, the committee has, inter-alia, referred to studies conducted by  certain  institutes  in  India.  Further,  the  IMC  in  its  report,  after  examining  various national and international studies on the environmental and health related concerns due to EMF, has 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.

In  a  Writ  Petition  filed  in  Hon'ble  High  Court  Allahabad,  Lucknow  bench,  the Hon'ble  Court  vide  its  order  dated  10.01.2012  constituted  a  committee  including Members  from  IITs  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  who  submitted  its  Report  on 17-01-2014.  The  Committee  in  their  report  has,  inter-alia,  noted  -  ' ...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 .' The Committee has also quoted studies conducted by World Health Organizations (WHO) and has noted  - ' In  the  area  of  biological  effects and  medical  applications  of  non-ionizing  radiation  approximately  25,000  articles  have been published over the past 30 years. 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.  Based  on  a  recent  in-depth  review  of  the  scientific  literature,  the WHO concluded  that  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  like  schools,  hospitals  and residential areas. Further, Government of India has taken adequate steps to ensure that Telecommunications Service Providers strictly adhere to these prescribed norms.

(c) & (d) DoT, has issued advisory guidelines to state governments on 01.08.2013 for issue of clearance for installation of mobile towers. These  guidelines to State Governments are applicable to all areas including residential areas. These guidelines do not place any restriction on installation of mobile towers in public buildings/places such as residential colonies/ thickly populated areas.

The present permissible limit of radiation from mobile towers in India for antennae (Base Station) electromagnetic frequency (EMF) emissions for general public exposure are as follows:

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

(f = frequency in MHz)

(e) & (f) Regulating the EMF radiation from Base Transceiver Stations  (BTSs) installed at  the  mobile  towers  is  a  telegraph  related  activity  and  powers  to  make  rules  for  the conduct of  telegraphs  has been  conferred on  Central  Government under section  7  of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. However, before installation of tower, the Telecom Service Providers  (TSPs)  have  to  obtain  necessary  right  of  way  related  clearances  from concerned local authorities/ State Government bodies also. Various local bodies/State Government have formulated their own policy regarding grant of such permissions for installation of mobile towers. DoT does not maintain the information about grant of such permissions  by  State  Government  bodies  /  Local  authorities  or  about  their  removal because of directions of Courts. However, as per the policy of DoT, in case any BTS site is found to violate the prescribed EMF norms, actions are taken to put a penalty of Rs. 10 lakh per BTS per incidence including closing of BTS site, if the violation persists. As on 31.12.2015, a total penalty of Rupees 10,80,00,000/- have been imposed by DoT on the BTSs that were in violation of EMF norms.

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