Tarang Sanchar – A new EMF Web Portal has been launched by the Department of Telecom (DoT) for Indian public so that they can track radiation levels of mobile towers and transmitters within their locality.
Purpose: To clear misconceptions and fear of health issues due to Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF) emissions from mobile phone towers.
With this portal, we Indians will be able to check the current status of the mobile tower located anywhere in the country and the EMF signal compliance status of the same, by paying a nominal fee of 4000.
According to Telecom department’s explanation on EMF, the present emissions limits/levels for Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) are 1/10th of limits prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) for general public exposure.
Why the portal on impact of radiation for Indians?
Recently, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) passed the order on deactivation of a mobile tower in Gwalior on the plea of a 42-year-old cancer patient “Harish Chand Tiwari”.
Tiwari pointed out that there are studies which have conclusively established ill effects of mobile tower radiation on bees, birds, rats and plants, and therefore, the findings may be true for human beings.
Tiwari argued in his writ petition that if there is no conclusive evidence to show adverse health effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phone towers, there is no conclusive study to show that such radiation is safe for humans.
Further, Tiwari has alleged that more than 50% mobile towers in the country are illegal, without following the statutory prescribed limits of radiation.
Thus, the order had intensified the debate on the impact of radiation from mobile phone towers on health. Though, according to Department of Telecom (DoT), India’s prescribed standards for mobile radiation are 10 times higher than international standards.
