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GHMC bereft of data on cell towers in Hyd
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is bereft of data about the number of cell towers in the city. The alarming increase in cell towers, it is alleged, has been posing grave threat to citizens in the residential areas.
The alarming increase in the number of base stations, it is feared, may pose a grave threat to the health of citizens
Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is bereft of data about the number of cell towers in the city. The alarming increase in cell towers, it is alleged, has been posing grave threat to citizens in the residential areas.
According to officials, the GHMC had accorded permissions to erect 1,179 cell towers, but recent survey conducted by the civic body revealed that there were as many as 3,300 cell towers across the city.
The sources, however, said the number of cell towers exceeded 5,000 in past three years. Sources in the GHMC claimed that the telecom companies citing the loopholes in GO 96 dated August 5, 2015 have gone on the spree by building cell towers as they liked. In the GO there is a provision which enables the telecom companies to erect cell towers first and seek the permission later from the civic body.
It is alleged that the telecom companies are violating norms and safe limit emissions at times. The same allegation has been made by the Uppuguda corporator Fahad Bin Abdul Samed Bin Abdat in the fourth Council meeting held the last week. When queried about it, a senior GHMC official told The Hans India that emission of radiation from cell towers has been regulated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
He said that if any complaint on radiation was brought to the notice of the GHMC it would be referred to Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) of DoT. He clarified that the GHMC has no role to play in regulating radiations from the cell towers. When asked about the alarming increase in the number of cell towers,
the official said the GHMC had already held meeting with telecom companies in January this year and asked them to submit self-declaration of towers being operated by them. He said the telecom companies were yet to share the information with.
However, he said there were more than 3,300 cell towers in the GHMC jurisdiction. He also said the civic body has been facing a tricky situation as there has been alarming increase in usage of cell phones. He said that there more than 70 lakh cell phones used by the citizens and it would be very difficult to provide quality signal with a few cell towers. He said that the GHMC has already taken the issue to the notice of State government and it would be resolved soon.
By Maddy Deekshith
