The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Delhi licensed service area (LSA) organised a webinar on electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation through mobile towers. In the webinar, various aspects of EMF radiation was presented by DoT Delhi LSA and health-related queries and myth about the harmful effect of EMF radiations from mobile towers was also clarified by a medical expert, Dr Vivek Tandon, professor (Neurosurgery), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
DoT, through its field units, has already taken necessary steps and adopted stricter norms for safety from EMF radiation that is emitted from mobile towers. DoT has adopted the radiation norms which are 10 times stricter than the norms prescribed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) as recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO).
DoT and telecom service providers (TSPs) take various measures to ensure the EMF compliance of mobile towers/base transceiver stations (BTS) to safe limits. All TSPs ensure that radiation from mobile towers and BTSs are within safe limits prescribed by DoT and self-certification to this effect is submitted to respective DoT, field units on launch, whenever a change occurs and also on a biennial/triennial basis. All mobile towers start functioning commercially only after the submission of self-certification. Moreover, testing of radiation of working mobile towers is regularly carried out by field unit of DoT Delhi on sample basis which is up to 5 per cent of the total working mobile towers/BTS annually. Further, DoT has a web portal for information sharing on mobile towers and EMF emission compliances. The EMF portal provides a public interface where an easy map-based search feature has been provided for viewing the mobile towers in the vicinity of any locality. Information on EMF compliance status of mobile towers can be accessed easily through this. Additionally, any person can request for EMF emission measurement at his/her premises by paying a nominal fee of Rs 4,000 online.
The webinar was focused to clear doubt among various stakeholders including public representatives, government departments/agencies, resident welfare associations, civil society organisations, urban local bodies/municipalities and the general public regarding misconceptions about EMF radiations and its effect on health so that no hindrance is created for the development of mobile towers and telecommunication infrastructure.
