The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought the response of American Tower Corporation Ltd on a plea alleging that mobile phone towers across the country are being installed in violation of stipul

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought the response of American Tower Corporation on a plea alleging that mobile phone towers across the country are being installed in violation of stipulated guidelines.

A bench comprising acting chairperson Justice A S Naidu and expert member PC Mishra issued notice to the American company after a plea was moved to implead it as a party in the case. “A petition has been filed to implead American Tower Corporation as respondent No 12. It is submitted that the respondent is likely to be affected by any order passed in this case.

Industry lobbies representing India’s tower operators and mobile phone companies offering services on both the GSM and CDMA technology platforms have told the government that the recent Rajasthan H

Terraces that will have new cellphone towers will be out of bounds for residents of those buildings as well as for outsiders, say the new Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) draft policy.

Even as there is growing concern among Mumbaikars over electromagnetic (EM) radiation from cellphone towers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has gone slow in giving clearance for new towers.

An estimated 1,000 applications for new towers are pending with the BMC, while around 1,800 towers have been declared illegal. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is planning a meeting with the chief engineer of the BMC’s Development Planning and Building Proposal department to gauge reasons for the delay and resolve them. “Not having mobile towers cannot be a solution.

With the state Legislative Assembly in session, the civic administration has suggested that a special ordinance be passed to lift the stay order on illegal mobile towers in the city.

Proposing various guidelines in the draft policy for installation of mobile towers, the BMC said the HC orders directing status quo had stopped the civic administration from taking action against unauthorised mobile towers. “The stay order on BMC must be lifted so that it can perform the duties of dismantling 50 per cent of the tower antennaes which are illegal,” the draft policy said.

Telecom operators in the city have been issued notices for their cell towers emitting more than the prescribed radiation.

JAIPUR: In support of the telecom industry, Union minister for communication and information technology Kapil Sibal has told Rajasthan government about the negative impacts of removing cell phone towers in the state.

In his communique to the chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the last week of November, Sibal expressed his fear that compliance of high court orders could hit the critical communication requirement in the state. Sibal said communication is vital for law and order in the state.