A parliamentary panel has recommended stricter norms for checking electromagnetic radiation from cell towers as Indians are more prone to risk due to their low BMI
By Rakesh Bhatnagar
Much friction is being generated over the supposed ill-effects of radiation from radio-active signals. The WHO says there is no convincing scientific evidence that weak radio frequency (RF) signals from base stations and wireless networks “caused adverse health effects”.
However, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests tabled a report in the Rajya Sabha on July 23, 2015, recommending indigenous methodology and techniques to check the alarming increase in radiation from radio-active signals, RF and Electro-magnetic Fields (EMFs).
The committee said Indians were more prone to risk from radiations as compared to Europeans because of their low body mass index (BMI) and low fat content. Therefore, comprehensive scientific studies must be conducted to “conclusively establish the level of risks and adverse health effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of cell towers”.
It took into account various reports regarding unrestricted location of mobile towers or antennas in cities and smaller towns. It recommended that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) consider framing suitable regulations and guidelines for specifying the location of mobile towers.
MEDICAL RESEARCH
Meanwhile, on March 3, 2015, the government also quoted a study by the Indian Medical Council (IMC), which said that “exposure to radiation from mobile phones causes adverse health effects”. Besides IMC, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also pointed out that Indians were more vulnerable and prone to risk from radiations. It becomes more important now to undertake comprehensive scientific studies “to conclusively establish the level of risks and adverse health effects of EMR of mobile phone towers,” the parliamentary panel said.
The IMC report says that the hot tropical climate of India, low BMI, low fat content of an average Indian as compared to Europeans and high environmental concentration of RF radiation may place Indians at risk. “So there is a need to explore the possibility of impact of geographical location on adverse health effect from EMF radiation from mobile towers,” it added.
The parliamentary committee explains EMR as the flow of photons through space. The electromagnetic spectrum is a range of all types of EM radiation. X-rays used in hospitals or radio waves from a radio station are all part of this spectrum. The most common sources of exposure include FM/AM radio, TV transmission, cellular networks using GSM, CDMA, WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi and WiMax technologies which occupy VHF, UHF, L and S band of frequencies.
EXPERT PANEL
It may be recalled that the Allahabad High Court had constituted an expert panel comprising members from various IITs and from other scientific institutions, including ICMR and AIIMS, to conduct a study on the effects of EMF radiation. It was also meant to study if the government’s response to the present prescribed precautionary EMF “safe exposure limits” was adequate. The expert panel submitted its report on January 17, 2014, recommending many changes. The parliamentary committee now has given the nod to the panel’s recommendations, even though DoT told it that the government was ready to further study the effects of radiation.
The expert panel says: “EMF should be recognized as a pollutant and its regular auditing should be conducted in urban localities, educational institutions and hospitals, industrial hubs, residential areas, recreational premises including parks and plazas
and around protected and ecologically sensitive areas.”
It seeks a law for protection of urban flora and fauna from emerging threats like EMR or EMF as conservation issues in urban areas are different from forested or wildlife habitats. Bold signs and messages with warnings should be put up about the dangers of cell phone towers and radiation “which is emitted in and around the structures where the towers are erected”.
These would be akin to the one with skull and bones used for high voltage wires and health warnings on packets of cigarettes.
To avoid bird hits, it says that facilities for security lighting on the ground should be minimized and it should focus downwards or be shielded. The experts also stress independent monitoring of radiation levels and overall health of the community and nature surrounding the towers.
MONITORING RADIATION
Access to tower sites should be allowed for monitoring radiation levels and animal mortality, if any. Appropriate procedures are also required for removal of problematic mobile towers, particularly in and around public place and protected areas, it further said.
A proper ecological and medical study must be conducted prior to granting sanction for installation of mobile towers. Moreover, the data concerning the locations of cell phone towers and other EMF radiating towers along with their frequencies should be made available to the public. Authorities concerned must hold public consultations before installation of cell phone towers.
Other recommendations that the panel made are: the forest department should be consulted before installation of cell phone towers in and around protected areas/zoos. The distance at which towers are installed should be studied on a case-by-case basis.
The committee also suggests that no further permission should be given by the government for installation of a new tower within a radius of one kilometer of existing towers. When new towers are made, their height should be above 80 ft and below 199 ft.
HEALTH vs GROWTH
According to sources, the government is chary of accepting these recommendations, which are not mandatory. The government claims that its guidelines for EMF radiations from base transceiver station (BTS) and mobile handsets are very stringent when compared to developed countries. In case of EMF radiation from BTSs, the prescribed values are 1/10th the ICNIRP guidelines and they are better than the standards adopted by some developed countries like the US, Canada, Japan and Australia, said the telecom ministry.
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, however, says that EMF radiation is a fact of life and most human beings are exposed to some form of it on a daily basis. But standards for safety have to be based on scientific basis. The telecom industry feels that due to this lacuna, regulations could be assailed as arbitrary. Moreover, there are apprehensions that implementation of the parliamentary panel’s recommendations could hamper growth of telecom industry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Digital India”.
But what is the point of growth if it affects the health of people?