The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued an advisory, requesting the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to implement stricter norms pertaining to the radiation levels emitted from telecom towers.
Prior to this, a study published by an expert committee set up by MoEF in 2010 on this subject concluded that DoT ought to not permit towers being set up within one kilometre of existing towers. This was aimed at stemming the effects of radiation.
MoEF has also suggested that radiation levels be regularly audited and monitoredin urban localities, educational, hospital, industrial, residential and recreational facilities .
The ministry has also asked DoT to make details pertaining to the location and frequencies of towers emitting radiationavailable in the public domain. It has also suggested that sharing of passive infrastructure should be made mandatory for operators, to minimise the number of new towers being built.
