Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 13, 2010:
Illegal and unregulated construction of mobile phone towers by the mobile service operators in state are found at various places in the state, particularly in the valley areas.
As per International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines mobile towers should not be erected in 100 meter vicinity from schools & hospitals after prior permission obtained form Central Building Research Institute, Rourkela, Indian Technical and Economic Service Limited, New Delhi, National Council for Building, Faridabad and Indian Institute of Technology, Rourkela.
Apart fro obtaining permission from one of the five establishments, clearance from the local authorities where the tower is to be erected should also be obtained.
But in total contradicting with the set guidelines, in Manipur, towers were erected after the mobile operators reached agreements with the family members or individuals where the tower is to be erected without obeying the guidelines of the government of India.
As per the guidelines framed in 2006, rules and regulations have been framed for installing a tower.
No tower would be installed within 100 metre radius of hospitals and educational institutes.
But this are not followed as many towers are seen without taking care of the guidelines.
With regard to the location of towers, cellular operators shall avoid residential areas for erection of the same.
The location shall be decided as (i) First preference shall be given to the location of tower in the Forest areas.
(ii) Second preference shall be given to the location of tower in the open or public areas away from residential locations.
(iii) Where it is not possible to avoid the location of the tower in residential area, the same shall be located in open space or park, with prior consent of owners of adjoining residential houses.
(iv) Erection of tower shall not be allowed within a radius of 100 metre from residential building, school and hospital.
An individual, resident of Imphal who spare land to erect a mobile tower in his estate said that he had provided only a residential certificate declaring the land is his name issued by SDC or SDC, a clearance certificate from his neighbours and no due telephone bill certificate at the time erecting the tower.
He was not related whether the mandatory permissions were taken or not, he added.
Even though permissions are to be obtained from DC concerns in the hill districts, the same is not done in the hill areas of the state.
Towers were erected only on the consent of the land owners.
It is learnt.
Keeping aside the matter in the hill districts of the state, none of the authorities intervened into the erection of towers in valley areas.
No advice to the mobile operators on the health hazard caused by the unregulated erection of tower given.
Apart from this how many mobile towers had been erected in the state could not be known as there were no authority to deal with the mobile service in the state.