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Mumbai safe from mobile tower radiations: DoT

A team from Department of Telecommunications (DoT) tested telecom tower sites at Baldota Bhawan, Jolly Bhawan 2 and Haji Ali Juice centre

In a recent joint effort to analyse electromagnetic frequency emissions (EMF), noted telecom experts and doctors found out mobile towers in Mumbai were safe from radiation, and well within prescribed limits in India.

A team of experts led by officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) tested telecom tower sites at Baldota Bhawan, Jolly Bhawan 2 and Haji Ali Juice centre and measured EMF emission levels across these areas and stated that all towers were safe, substantiated by the low levels of radiation that showed up in the tests.

The average radiation from three towers inspected in Mumbai was 9.14 per cent of the limits set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT); well within the prescribed limits.

The level of emission near Baldota Bhawan was 45.28 milliwatts/sqm. The next location tested was a tower in Jolly Bhawan 2, which also had a reading of 15.39 milliwatts/sqm. The third site tested was at Haji Ali Juice Centre where the level was measured at 62.83 milliwatts/sqm.

M M Gupta , Senior Deputy Director General, Telecom Enforcement Resource Monitoring (TERM), Western Region, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, said, “We forget that seamless mobile connectivity is an important factor, which can help a state to grow. For a city like Mumbai, which is the hub of the country’s financial activity, it is a must-have.”

“Lack of sufficient towers is also hampering network quality in Mumbai. Cell tower sites are being shut down due to unfounded fears of EMF radiation and their impact on health despite no scientific proof. According to experts, more mobile towers are required in order to boost the connectivity and enhance network in the city, the towers are completely safe and today’s testing results further reinforce that fact,” he added.

EMF emissions from mobile towers, below the limits prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by WHO, have no adverse impact on an individual’s health. In addition to this, the Government is simultaneously partaking in all research and discussion organised by credible bodies and committees like The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) to revise the guidelines related to the tower installations fund investment and update them with recent discoveries and guidelines.

Additionally, in its latest advisory on health risks associated with mobile phones and their base stations, both World Health Organizations (WHO) and a French government expert group ANSES have said that there is no health hazard from mobile tower emissions. This has been seconded by a decade-long study conducted by the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR) of the UK.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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