HEALTH HAZARD, PRECAUTIONS NEEDED

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HEALTH HAZARD, PRECAUTIONS NEEDED

    Scientists have called for curbs on cellphone towers and overuse of mobiles as evidence mounts on health risk posed by them 
    World Health Organisation (WHO) said in May last year that mobile phones may cause cancer. It urged phone owners to limit their use and take ‘pragmatic’ measures to reduce exposure to mobiles 
    WHO reviewed 21 scientifi c studies from 14 countries 
    In India, an inter-ministerial committee formed to examine the effect of EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation from base stations and mobile phones, stated cause and effect could not be established. However, it recommended lowering of mobile tower’s EMF exposure limit to a tenth of the existing norm 
    The committee recommended reducing the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body while using a phone – to 1.6 watt/kg, as prescribed by the Federal Communication Commission of US, from 2 watt/kg 
    The recommendations were accepted and mobile operators have to make these changes by September 1, 2012 
Level of risk 
WHO concluded mobile use is ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’, a term that places mobiles in the middle of a rating scale that contains fi ve levels of carcinogens So, mobiles are ranked below things that are definitely known to cause cancer, such as smoking 
How it may harm 
    Mobiles emit signals in the form of radio waves. These microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation 
When we hold a mobile against our ear, the radiation is in direct contact with the tissue in our head 
The fear is that this radiation may cause changes in the brain cells 
If DNA in these brain cells gets damaged, they may become cancerous and cause brain tumours, in particular gliomas 
This is a rare type of tumour that typically starts in the brain or spine and can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures 
Reason to worry There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. Many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily 
Cancer not only concern 
Excessive use of cellphones has been linked to a burning and tingling sensation inscalp, headache, ringing in ears, fatigue, dizziness and sleep disturbance. Many users complain about lack of concentration and increase in reaction time. However, no scientifi c evidence so far 
    Use of mobiles while crossing the road or driving has risk of accident Dos and Don’ts 
    Use a hands-free system so that the phone is not close to your head, and send texts whenever possible rather than calling someone up Keep your calls short, especially in case of kids and pregnant women If you have an active medical implant, keep phone at least 30cm away 
Tower Curbs Lower radiation frequency exposure limits to 1/10th of existing level Restrict installation of mobile towers near crowded residential areas, schools, playgrounds and hospitals 
How safe is a cordless phone? IIT Mumbai professor Girish Kumar says range of a cordless phone is limited and it transmits about 10 milliwatt of power while mobile phones transmit close to 1000 milliwatt of power. So, cordless phones are safer

Rajasthan seeks Central policy

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Rajasthan seeks Central policy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Jaipur: In the wake of growing public concern over mobile tower radiation, the Rajasthan government has requested the Centre to formulate a policy on cell phone towers. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has asked the central government for a team of experts to study the effects of these radiations. 
    To allay residents’ fear, the government has also decided to test mobile towers in various localities and make the results public. Results released in May showed that the radiations were within the permissible limit, and therefore, not harmful. The tests, conducted with the help of the telecommunications department (DoT), couldn’t establish any relation between cellphone tower radiations and people’s health. After testing 509 towers in Jaipur and 1,086 towers in the state, the government declared that in 90% cases radiations were “much lower” than the permissible limit. 
    However, the Kasliwal brothers of C-scheme in Jaipur, both diagnosed with cancer, blame the three mobile towers in the neighbourhood for their illness.Diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, Pramod Kasliwal (53) underwent a surgery in New York but had a relapse within six months. Sanjay Kasliwal (56), his elder brother, who was also treated for the same condition, is keeping his fingers crossed. The brothers say their dog Lalu also died due to brain tumour. 
    The towers caught the attention of the brothers — who have no family history of cancer — after an oncologist’s query about radiation exposure. “We learnt about the repercussions of proximity to cell tower radiation too late but we are trying to get the authorities to act,” said Sanjay. 
    At a seminar on such health risks last month, principal secretary for urban development and housing, GS Sandhu, underlined there could be many reasons for cancer even if people were residing close to mobile towers. Putting the onus on the Centre, Sindhu said, “It should formulate a policy on mobile towers and send it to us.” The joint statement of DoT, Delhi, and the general telecom enforcement resource monitoring cell, Rajasthan, made it clear that these radiations were not harmful for humans. 
    Cellular operators have come together to fight a campaign which they term is “uncalled for”. “We follow all licence conditions. Radiation levels are fully compliant to these guidelines. We conduct regular checks which are audited by DoT,” said Sudipto Chaudhary, CEO, Airtel, Rajasthan circle.

WORRIED: Sanjay Kasliwal at home

47% cell towers in city unauthorized - New Delhi

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WEAK SIGNALS

47% cell towers in city unauthorized

Risha Chitlangia | TNN 

New Delhi: With increase in number of cell phone users, cellular operators are looking for new sites to install mobile towers. However, many operators have installed these towers without civic agencies’ sanction, especially after the erstwhile MCD had come up with a stringent revised policy on it in 2010. 
    Instead, Cellular Operators’ Association of India had moved the Delhi high court against the order and, last April, the court struck down MCD’s decision to increase the installation fee and its right to decide the site. However, the court also made it clear that the operators can’t install towers without the civic agencies’ permission. But according to MCD, of the 5,656 mobile towers installed across the city till February 2012, 2,656 (47%) are operating without its permission. 
    Officials say the new 
guidelines were issued following complaints from resident welfare associations. The cash-strapped MCD had also increased the installation fee from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for every five years. 
    “The policy was revised to limit the number of towers in residential colonies. Under the new policy, the first preference was given to municipal and government buildings (barring hospitals and schools), and then to nonresidential areas, near drains, vacant land. But not many operators have applied for permission in the last one year,” said Yogender Chandolia, chairman of standing committee, North Delhi Municipal Corporation. 
    Permission for installing towers in residential colonies and group housing societies was to be given only if there was no alternative. “We have appealed against the order as the new policy will not only help the civic agency boost its revenue but also ensure that cellular operators follow all safety norms,” he said. The matter is pending before a double bench in HC. 
    As per the new policy, the cellular operators were required to get clearance from various government agencies like the fire department, DDA, DUAC, AAI etc. “The court has struck down two points of our new policy. But the cellular operators have to fulfill the rest to obtain permission. But in the past one year, not many cellular operators have applied for permission and those who have applied don’t fulfill the other terms and conditions,” said an official of South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Property hit where signal masts rise

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Property hit where signal masts rise

Risha Chitlangia | TNN 

New Delhi: Hosting mobile towers may be good for property owners in short term as an earning proposition but it certainly deters house-hunters. Both rentals and sale suffer, it seems, if you have a tower on the property. And the fallout can be experienced in the neighbourhood too. 
    DS Pal of Pal & Associates, Green Park, claims that due to growing awareness about the harmful effects of radiation emitted by mobile towers, properties in areas with a high concentration of cell phone towers are getting somewhat marked down both in price and rentals. Property dealers across the city say that buildings which host mobile phone towers have 10-20% less market value. 
    “Forget buying these properties, people don’t want to take them on rent even, particularly when they have a choice. If a person is going to invest crores, why would he buy a property with a tower?” asks Pal. According to LK 
Thakkar, a Defence Colony-based property dealer, while the cost of the building which has the tower is relatively less, other buildings in the vicinity also get affected. “No one wants to buy a house within 100 metres of the building which has the tower. The rates for such properties drop by 10-20%, and sometimes even more,’’ said Thakkar, co-owner of A-One Associates. 
    There is a high concentration of mobile towers in south and west Delhi. In west Delhi, property dealers say people hesitate in taking such properties on rent. “They prefer to pay extra and look for a place where there are less number of mobile towers. A lot of people who had got the towers installed believing them to be lucrative now want them removed,’’ said Mahesh Mehra, owner of Mehra Property. 
    Safety and security issues also crop up. “The cellular operators have there own staff deployed at the site. These workers come at odd hours. There is no privacy and the companies don’t keep a check on there staff,’’ said Rajesh Gupta, owner of east Delhi-based Amba Property Dealer. 
    In areas like Laxmi Nagar, Rajinder Nagar etc where there is high concentration of mobile towers, people have no option. Areas like Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar are extremely congested. There are at least 10 houses in a 100-metre radius. “These areas have low rentals. So, those looking for cheaper accommodation don’t mind living in a building which has a tower but it is definitely not a preferred choice,’’ said Kapil Batra, owner of Rajinder Nagar-based Mega Real Estate. 
    With growing awareness about the harmful effects of radiation emitted by these towers and people asking questions and become more vocal, most resident welfare associations are not giving permission to install these towers in their colony anymore.

HEAT ON MOBILE TOWERS

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HEAT ON MOBILE TOWERS Phone towers in India emit very strong radiations. With rising concern about their role in certain types of cancer, government has decided to cut radiation limits to a tenth from Sept 1. Will new norm be observed? Durgesh Nandan Jha | TNN      If you are worried by the radiation emitted by cellphone towers around you, there is some good news. From September 1 this year, India will lower the level to onetenth of the prevailing standard – from 9.2 w/m2 (watt per square metre) to 0.92 w/m2. The decision follows a report of the inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology to study the hazards posed by EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation from base stations and mobile phones.      Dr R S Sharma, deputy director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), who represented the health ministry on the committee, said the new norms will place India among the more radiation conscious countries. “India’s current radiation exposure limit (9.2 watt/m2) for mobile towers is higher than countries like Russia (0.2 w/m2) and China (0.4 w/m2). In USA, Canada and Japan, however, the radiation exposure limit is much higher (12 w/m2),” he said.      Sharma said lowering of the limit is a preventive step against serious health risks posed by radiation emitted from towers which includes the possibility of developing certain types of cancer. The cause and effect relationship though hasn’t been established yet.      The department of telecommunications has also issued directions for reducing the specific absorption rate (SAR), a measure of the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body while using a phone. In May last year, WHO classified radiofrequency EMF associated with a wireless phone as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’. The UN’s health body urged phone owners to restrict their use and take pragmatic steps to reduce exposure like use of hands-free devices and texting.     The telecom operators are, however, resisting the move. According to Rajan S Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), lowering of EMF limits will give no health benefits but affect services. “Deteriorated coverage will mean the handset will have to work harder/at a higher power which will cause greater personal exposure. Also, if the handset operates at a higher power, the battery will discharge faster, giving consumers lesser talktime/standby time, leading to a degraded customer experience,” said Mathews. He said more towers would then be needed to plug the gaps, which will increase the overall EMF. He said the rollout of 3G and broadband services will also get adversely affected.      Telecom companies argue that the steps are not needed as there is no proof of a direct correlation between the radiation emitted by cellphone towers and phones and health.      Delhi health minister A K Walia recently held a meeting with scientists from ICMR and JNU, besides others, where it was decided to impose strin    Telecom companies argue that the steps are not needed as there is no proof of a direct correlation between the radiation emitted by cellphone towers and phones and health.     Delhi health minister A K Walia recently held a meeting with scientists from ICMR and JNU, besides others, where it was decided to impose strin    Telecom companies argue that the steps are not needed as there is no proof of a direct correlation between the radiation emitted by cellphone towers and phones and health.     Delhi health minister A K Walia recently held a meeting with scientists from ICMR and JNU, besides others, where it was decided to impose strin    Telecom companies argue that the steps are not needed as there is no proof of a direct correlation between the radiation emitted by cellphone towers and phones and health.     Delhi health minister A K Walia recently held a meeting with scientists from ICMR and JNU, besides others, where it was decided to impose strin    Telecom companies argue that the steps are not needed as there is no proof of a direct correlation between the radiation emitted by cellphone towers and phones and health.     Delhi health minister A K Walia recently held a meeting with scientists from ICMR and JNU, besides others, where it was decided to impose stringent norms for installation of cellphone towers in residential areas. “We are also talking to the union government to make radiation level tags mandatory for different brand of handsets,” Walia told TOI.      Girish Kumar, professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, whose research on hazards of cellphone is being used as a reference for most policy decisions in India, said that most countries like Australia, Russia and China have lower levels of EMF radiation exposure     Girish Kumar, professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, whose research on hazards of cellphone is being used as a reference for most policy decisions in India, said that most countries like Australia, Russia and China have lower levels of EMF radiation exposure     Girish Kumar, professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, whose research on hazards of cellphone is being used as a reference for most policy decisions in India, said that most countries like Australia, Russia and China have lower levels of EMF radiation exposure     Girish Kumar, professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, whose research on hazards of cellphone is being used as a reference for most policy decisions in India, said that most countries like Australia, Russia and China have lower levels of EMF radiation exposure     Girish Kumar, professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, whose research on hazards of cellphone is being used as a reference for most policy decisions in India, said that most countries like Australia, Russia and China have lower levels of EMF radiation exposure compared to India. “In the US, though the radiation exposure from cellphone towers is higher, they ensure that the site of installation is also higher,” said Kumar.      He said it was important to educate people about the duration of mobile usage. “There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. And many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily. Cellphones should not be used for more than 30 minutes in a day,” he said.    He said it was important to educate people about the duration of mobile usage. “There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. And many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily. Cellphones should not be used for more than 30 minutes in a day,” he said.    He said it was important to educate people about the duration of mobile usage. “There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. And many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily. Cellphones should not be used for more than 30 minutes in a day,” he said.    He said it was important to educate people about the duration of mobile usage. “There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. And many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily. Cellphones should not be used for more than 30 minutes in a day,” he said.    He said it was important to educate people about the duration of mobile usage. “There are more than 900 million mobile subscribers in India. And many youngsters and professionals are using them more than ever – up to two hours daily. Cellphones should not be used for more than 30 minutes in a day,” he said. FLIP SIDE: The industry argues that lowering radiation intensity will hit service quality, and require many more towers