Telecom Tower In Odisha’s Capital To Be Dismantled; Know Whether Radiation Is Harmful

Bhubaneswar: Telecom authorities may time and again emphasise that radiation from mobile phone towers do not pose any health risk, but city residents and local outfits have for long been opposing their presence in residential areas.

There are over 1,500 telecom towers in residential areas under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s jurisdiction.

But a recent BMC order directing the removal of a telecom tower from a residential area has come as good news for residents long opposing their presence on the roofs of houses, saying it’s a small victory for them.

The telecom tower in question has come up on a residential building at Bank Colony in Govindeswar Road under Lingaraj police station.

Telecom companies have to meet stringent conditions set by the BMC to erect towers in residential areas. The civic body grants permission only after 17 conditions are met.

But cancelling the NOC on the grounds that several of its conditions were not met, BMC’s order dated October 30 states, “after due examination, it’s found that the documents on location plan, site plan, elevation plan and structure plan submitted do not have approval of competent authority, i.e. planning department of BDA or BMC.”

“Since the building, on which construction of tower is proposed on plot no. 458 & 460, Bank Colony, Govindeswar Road, Old Town, is unauthorised, final permission for erection of tower cannot be issued,” the order states.

The civic body has given 30 days to remove the tower.

Do telecom towers pose a health hazard?

Telecom experts say there is no evidence to support the widely-held beliefs of people that the towers pose a health risk.

Speaking at an event in Jaipur, a senior Department of Telecommunications (DoT) official some months ago said that extensive research on Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) radiation has established that it does not cause any harm.

The official made the remark at a webinar aimed at dispelling misconceptions on radiation from mobile phone towers.

In another event in Goa, also organised by the DoT to dispel myths around EMF radiation, it was mentioned that after two decades of research, the World Health Organisation (WHO) found no evidence to support the claim that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields is harmful to humans.