Farming pesticides are also killing worker bumblebees, meaning colonies that are vital for plant pollination are more likely to fail

The “Report on possible impacts of communication towers on wildlife including birds and bees,” is a textbook example of how not to write scientific reports.

An expert committee, also comprising a few scientists from reputed institutions, was constituted in August 2010 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to study the issue. It was on the basis of their recommendation that the Central Department of Telecommunications was recently directed to ensure that new mobile towers do not come up within a one-kilometre radius of existing towers.

Regular auditing, monitoring of radiations stressed

JAMMU: Taking serious note of the general complaints that Electro-Magnetic Radiations from the cell-phone towers have been leaving adverse impact on wildlife especially birds and bees, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued detailed advisory containing the actions to be undertaken by various agencies in order to avoid the impacts of radiations on such species.

To “avoid and mitigate” the impact of electromagnetic radiation on living beings, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests issued an advisory last week on the deployment of mobile-phone and other communication towers.

The advisory follows a report submitted by an expert committee formed by the Ministry to study the possible impact on people, animals, birds and bees. The advisory, sent to the State governments, Union Territory administrations, the Department of Telecommunications and the Planning Commission, says the committee’s report indicates that electromagnetic radiation interferes with biological systems.

Radiation from mobile towers may have varying negative impact on wildlife especially birds and bees, according to the Environment Ministry.

Amid concerns over health hazards and impact on wildlife due to mobile tower radiation, the Environment Ministry has issued an advisory asking the Department of Telecommunications not to permit new mobile towers within a one-km radius of the existing ones. Noting there was a need to prevent the negative impact of electro-magnetic radiations (EMR) on birds and bees, the Ministry directed that the new towers should be constructed with utmost care and precautions 'so as not to obstruct flight path of birds, and also not to increase the combined radiation from all towers in the area'.

France said it plans to ban a pesticide made by Swiss agro-chemical group Syngenta that is widely used to treat rapeseed crops after scientists suggested it could pose danger to bees.

France said it plans to ban a pesticide made by Swiss agro-chemical group Syngenta that is widely used to treat rapeseed crops after scientists suggested it could pose danger to bees.

It represents a serious threat to agriculture because bees are pollination agents for the majority of crops.