Sion man dials HC over cell tower radiation

Publication: The Times Of India Mumbai; Date:2010 Jun 15; Section:Times City;






HEALTH FEARS


Sion man dials HC over cell tower radiation

Shibu Thomas I TNN

Mumbai: A Sion resident has moved the Bombay high court to challenge the installation of mobile towers on the roof of his seventh-floor flat.


Pradip Shinde (32), a resident of Chaitanya Housing Society Ltd, has expressed fears that there is a serious threat to his and his family
members’ life and health from the radiation emitted by mobile towers. A division bench of Justice F I Rebello and Justice R V More has scheduled Shinde’s application for interim relief on June 28.


Essar Telecom Infrastructure, represented by D H Law Associates, has refuted the allegations of a radiation risk. “The apprehension about radiation and possible health hazard is unfounded in as much as the department of telecommunications, government of India, has categorically reported that at present, there is no conclusive evidence to that effect to warrant any further investigation,’’ the company said in an affidavit.


Shinde approached the HC after the firm started installing the mobile phone tower. According to Shinde, there were two towers on the terrace and one of the signal receivers was attached to the side walls of his bedroom.


The petitioner claimed that the walls of his flat were in a bad condition, with leakages every monsoon. He also raised questions about the safety of such towers. “The consequences or after-effects of radiation from the mobile towers and allied machinery are not known,’’ said Shinde. He added that he had contacted various persons who had suffered on account of such radiation due to installation of mobile towers in their vicinity. In his application for interim relief, he has urged the court to order the company to stop the functioning of the towers.


Mhada, which constructed the building, was represented by assistant government pleader G W Mattos. The firm has denied the claims and pointed to the findings of a two-member panel which in its report in 2006, had said that there was not enough evidence to show direct health hazards of radiation exposure from mobile base stations.


http://epaper.timesofindia.com/APD26302/PrintArt.asp?SkinFolder=TOI&artType=A... 15/06/2010