SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012
Jaipur - Mobile Tower Radiation - Cancer and illness - Three different societies protest
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| Dainik Bhaskar - Jaipur - 12-05-12_Pg 2 |
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13th May 2012:
Protest against mobile towers in three different places.
Rajapark colony, Neerman Nagar, Malviya Nagar: People face severe health problems (cancer, headaches, loss of sleep, fatigue, dizziness, tiredness, miscarriages) and protest to remove cell towers
Radiation levels were measured and found to be in danger and caution zones in most places
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| Dainik Bhaskar 13-05-12Pg1 |
13th May 2012:
SIX Died from cancer and TEN people fighting with cancer. Miscarriage and other cases reported too in Mohalla Kayamkhaniyan, Jaipur
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13th May 2012:
Mohalla Kayamkhaniyan - SIX Died from cancer and TEN people fighting with cancer. Miscarriage and other cases reported too.
Harmada Colony - FIVE people suffering from severe illness (cancer and severe headache and fatigue cases)
Rajapark - ONE women suffering from cancer and illness in EVERY house (severe headaches, loss of sleep, fatigue, dizziness, tiredness)
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| Rajasthan-Patrika-Jaipur-13-05-12_2Pg 2 |
Mobile Tower Radiation Hazards and Solutions Proposed to Government - May 2012.
Mobile Tower Radiation Hazards and Solutions Proposed to Government.
Following presentation was made to Shri Milind Deora, honorable Minister of State for IT and Communication and Department of Telecommunications (DOT), India on 1 May 2012 in Delhi
Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay has written down some simple solutions to reduce radiation hazard from cell phones.
Step 1 - Convince the operators to reduce the transmitted power from current 20W/carrier to max. 1 to 2 W especially in the dense urban area.
It is very simple to implement - all they have to do is to remove the power amplifier or reduce the gain of the amplifier.
Lots of other benefits of reducing the power - cooling of the amplifier will not be required, then it may not require Air conditioner. Total power requirement will be reduced, so Diesel Generator is not required and solar panel can meet this requirement. Operators can claim carbon
credit and it truely leads to Green Telecom. You can see the attached TRAI-Green-Telecom-openho use-GKreport.pdf
Disadvantage of reducing the power - range will reduce. So people living at larger distance may have signal problem initially.
Operators have to install more number of towers or they can provide low power repeaters/boosters/signal enhancers, which will cost them more money.
Step 2 - Radiation measurements have to be done at residences, offices,schools, hospitals. If the power density level is still high (i.e,more than 0.1 to 1 milliwatts/sq.m after reduction of the transmitted power, then either towers have to be relocated or height of the towers has to be increased or direction of the antenna has to be hanged. Again, any of these steps will require additional investment.
People have to decide
1. Health versus wealth.
2. Good cell phone connectivity at the expense of health of people living near cell tower or somewhat poor connectivity for the people living at larger distance from the tower.
Mobile Tower Radiation Danger and Solutions Proposed to Government - Prof. Girish Kumar - May 2012
Following presentation was made to Shri Milind Deora, honorable Minister of State for IT and Communication and Department of Telecommunications (DOT), India on 1 May 2012 in Delhi
Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay has written down some simple solutions to reduce radiation hazard from cell phones.
Step 1 - Convince the operators to reduce the transmitted power from current 20W/carrier to max. 1 to 2 W especially in the dense urban area.
It is very simple to implement - all they have to do is to remove the power amplifier or reduce the gain of the amplifier.
Lots of other benefits of reducing the power - cooling of the amplifier will not be required, then it may not require Air conditioner. Total power requirement will be reduced, so Diesel Generator is not required and solar panel can meet this requirement. Operators can claim carbon
credit and it truely leads to Green Telecom. You can see the attached TRAI-Green-Telecom-openho use-GKreport.pdf
Disadvantage of reducing the power - range will reduce. So people living at larger distance may have signal problem initially.
Operators have to install more number of towers or they can provide low power repeaters/boosters/signal enhancers, which will cost them more money.
Step 2 - Radiation measurements have to be done at residences, offices,schools, hospitals. If the power density level is still high (i.e,more than 0.1 to 1 milliwatts/sq.m after reduction of the transmitted power, then either towers have to be relocated or height of the towers has to be increased or direction of the antenna has to be hanged. Again, any of these steps will require additional investment.
People have to decide
1. Health versus wealth.
2. Good cell phone connectivity at the expense of health of people living near cell tower or somewhat poor connectivity for the people living at larger distance from the tower.
Mobile Tower Radiation Danger and Solutions Proposed to Government - Prof. Girish Kumar - May 2012
FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012
Cell Tower Radiation - Citizens Speak Up
Video prepared by students of IIT Bombay - PAF Team
Several hundreds of people living near mobile towers are suffering from headaches, sleep disturbance, miscarriages and even cancer etc. The problem is that the Indian governement has ADOPTED THE WORST RADIATION NORMS in the world and something should be done before it is too late! There are enough evidence evidence to see the causal link and solutions have been suggested to the government and industry. However, everyone is trying to blame one another and ignoring the solutions and avoiding responsibility. Please go through the presentation for info: http://www.scribd.com/Neha@Scribd/d/58797743-MOBILE-PHONE-TOWER-RADIATION-HAZARDS
Mobile Tower Radiation Threat: Six Cancer cases in Shalimar Colony,Jaipur
May 11, 2012: SIX CANCER CASES; Three died in Shalimar Colony in Jaipur Five months ago SEVEN cancer cases reported in C-Scheme near mobile towers in Jaipur. EMF levels were very high at all these places. The question is - When will this end? or is this just the beginning?
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012
Minutes of ASSOCHAM meeting "“Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in New Delhi on Feb. 7-8, 2012 by Prof. Girish Kumar
MINUTES OF THE MEETING AT ASSOCHAM, INDIA on Feb 7-8, 2012 by Prof. Girish Kumar
On 7th-8th Feb 2012 The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) held a workshop and a conference on “Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in Delhi where - Dr. Paolo Vecchia - Chairman ICNIRP, Dr. CK Chou, Chairman IEEE Electromagnetic Safety, Dr. Vijayalaxmi - University of Texas, Prof Kenneth Foster - University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Niels Kuster - IT'IS Foundation, Dr. Jack Rowley - Director Research & Sustainability, GSMA etc were invited. Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay was also invited however "due to limitation in time" as mentioned by the host speaker his session which was at the end of all the above speakers on 8th Feb was cancelled.
Here are his comments, which he would have liked to make but could not, and are not part of the workshop and conference.
Minutes of ASSOCHAM meeting "“Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in New De...
On 7th-8th Feb 2012 The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) held a workshop and a conference on “Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in Delhi where - Dr. Paolo Vecchia - Chairman ICNIRP, Dr. CK Chou, Chairman IEEE Electromagnetic Safety, Dr. Vijayalaxmi - University of Texas, Prof Kenneth Foster - University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Niels Kuster - IT'IS Foundation, Dr. Jack Rowley - Director Research & Sustainability, GSMA etc were invited. Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay was also invited however "due to limitation in time" as mentioned by the host speaker his session which was at the end of all the above speakers on 8th Feb was cancelled.
Here are his comments, which he would have liked to make but could not, and are not part of the workshop and conference.
Minutes of ASSOCHAM meeting "“Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in New De...
MOBILE TOWER RADIATION HAZARDS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What are the Health Hazards faced with Mobile Towers Radiations?
Sleep Disturbance, Headaches, Memory Loss, Lack of Concentration, Fatigue, Joint Pains, Vision Distortion, Miscarriage, Heart Problems, Brain Tumour, Leukaemia, Cancer, etc.
Also, it affects birds, animals, fruit yield of the trees, and environment.
2. Do we have any Medical Reports to prove these?
Overuse of cell phones leads to hearing loss and ear tumour, and this has been reported by several doctors in India. On May 31, 2011, WHO reported, “The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
There are several epidemiological studies done in various countries, such as, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Israel, etc. where they have reported increase in cancer cases in 5 to 10 years, where radiation level was more than 1 mW/m2. Cancer is the last stage and before that people living close to mobile phone towers have reported sleep disturbance, headaches, memory loss, lack of concentration, fatigue, joint pains, vision distortion, miscarriage, heart problems, etc. There are cluster of cancer cases in India also, which occurred after a few years of installation of mobile towers, and where radiation levels were around 10 mW/m2.
One of the links with peer reviewed publications on EMF effect on human and environment with epidemiological and experimental studies. http://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/
Link to a new statement from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine:
http://www.facebook.com/l/LAQEeBjKhAQFX9ofuyhZi2_RzaXSLVuozVog6HsiiXM_6ng/aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.html
3. What are the Indian Standards of EMF radiation levels permitted?
India follows ICNIRP Guidelines of safe radiation density of 4500 milliwatt/m2 for GSM900 and 9200 milliwatt/m2 for GSM1800. However, ICNIRP guidelines clearly state that these are for short term exposure, averaged over 6 minutes and not for long term exposure. Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) Report recommended adopting 1/10th of ICNIRP guidelines in Jan. 2011.
4. What is the highest reading of EMF radiation level recorded so far?
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has reported highest measured reading of power density as 450 mW/m2 and most of their readings are within 1 to 100 mW / m2. That’s why they always claim that they are within the safe limits. However, from health point of view, safe limit for 24 hours exposure should be less than 0.1 mW / m2.
5. What are the EMF radiation level standards prevailing in other countries.
Safe Limits adopted in various countries for GSM900 are given below:
6. How far is far from Mobile Towers / Base Station so that there is no health hazard faced by humans?
Radiation level at a place depends upon power transmitted, radiation pattern of the antenna, and distance from the transmitting towers. From health point of view, for 24 hours exposure and assuming human life span of 70 years, safe radiation density is less than 0.1 mW/m2, which includes apartments, schools, hospitals, offices and playgrounds. Safe radiation density can be 10mW/m2, where people spend few minutes a day. Currently in India, base stations transmit 20W/carrier, so in the main beam, a distance of less than 300m is not safe. If the power transmitted is reduced by 100 times, then safe distance will reduce by 10 times.
7. Why should mobile phone towers not be close to Hospitals, Schools and Residences where pregnant ladies and Senior Residents reside? At what distance they should be?
Children and pregnant ladies are more sensitive to radiation, and hence they should not be exposed to high radiation for longer time. Senior residents and patients have week immune system and hence they are more susceptible to high radiation. Please see Point 6 for more details.
8. Are there any International standards for :
Height at which the Towers should be installed – 30 m
Distance at which the Towers should be installed from Residences, Hospitals, Schools – 50 m
Power Transmission by the Towers – 1 to 2W in the dense urban area
9. The Cell Phone Service providers are very strong financially and have strong political contacts. They conduct Seminars in 5 Star Hotels, invite foreign delegates, and distribute printed leaflets manipulated at times. The Civil Society does not have all this. How to put our point forward? We need technical studies literature to support.
There are plenty of technical literatures reporting health hazards to human, birds, animals, plants, trees, etc. We need to raise funds, which can be utilized for creating awareness and fund epidemiological studies.
10. Unless we are able to create public awareness, nothing is going to happen as telcos lobby is very strong. How do we go about it to create mass awareness through TV and media? How do we engage NGOs and Political parties especially opposition parties to raise relevant questions in the Parliament and also create public awareness.
We have to create public awareness through digital media, i.e., facebook, twitter, blog, email, SMS, etc. We can also request cricketers and bollywood people to join the campaign, as reporters like to cover them. Also, involve school and college children; let us not underestimate youth of our country.
11. Can we get copies of rules and regulations for the radiation norms in the countries like Switzerland, Russia, Australia and Italy which countries seem to have adopted norms which are safe enough for all living beings?
We can get copies of rules and regulations of the radiation norms adopted in the other countries through internet.
Sleep Disturbance, Headaches, Memory Loss, Lack of Concentration, Fatigue, Joint Pains, Vision Distortion, Miscarriage, Heart Problems, Brain Tumour, Leukaemia, Cancer, etc.
Also, it affects birds, animals, fruit yield of the trees, and environment.
2. Do we have any Medical Reports to prove these?
Overuse of cell phones leads to hearing loss and ear tumour, and this has been reported by several doctors in India. On May 31, 2011, WHO reported, “The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
There are several epidemiological studies done in various countries, such as, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Israel, etc. where they have reported increase in cancer cases in 5 to 10 years, where radiation level was more than 1 mW/m2. Cancer is the last stage and before that people living close to mobile phone towers have reported sleep disturbance, headaches, memory loss, lack of concentration, fatigue, joint pains, vision distortion, miscarriage, heart problems, etc. There are cluster of cancer cases in India also, which occurred after a few years of installation of mobile towers, and where radiation levels were around 10 mW/m2.
One of the links with peer reviewed publications on EMF effect on human and environment with epidemiological and experimental studies. http://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/
Link to a new statement from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine:
http://www.facebook.com/l/LAQEeBjKhAQFX9ofuyhZi2_RzaXSLVuozVog6HsiiXM_6ng/aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.html
3. What are the Indian Standards of EMF radiation levels permitted?
India follows ICNIRP Guidelines of safe radiation density of 4500 milliwatt/m2 for GSM900 and 9200 milliwatt/m2 for GSM1800. However, ICNIRP guidelines clearly state that these are for short term exposure, averaged over 6 minutes and not for long term exposure. Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) Report recommended adopting 1/10th of ICNIRP guidelines in Jan. 2011.
4. What is the highest reading of EMF radiation level recorded so far?
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has reported highest measured reading of power density as 450 mW/m2 and most of their readings are within 1 to 100 mW / m2. That’s why they always claim that they are within the safe limits. However, from health point of view, safe limit for 24 hours exposure should be less than 0.1 mW / m2.
5. What are the EMF radiation level standards prevailing in other countries.
Safe Limits adopted in various countries for GSM900 are given below:
6. How far is far from Mobile Towers / Base Station so that there is no health hazard faced by humans?
Radiation level at a place depends upon power transmitted, radiation pattern of the antenna, and distance from the transmitting towers. From health point of view, for 24 hours exposure and assuming human life span of 70 years, safe radiation density is less than 0.1 mW/m2, which includes apartments, schools, hospitals, offices and playgrounds. Safe radiation density can be 10mW/m2, where people spend few minutes a day. Currently in India, base stations transmit 20W/carrier, so in the main beam, a distance of less than 300m is not safe. If the power transmitted is reduced by 100 times, then safe distance will reduce by 10 times.
7. Why should mobile phone towers not be close to Hospitals, Schools and Residences where pregnant ladies and Senior Residents reside? At what distance they should be?
Children and pregnant ladies are more sensitive to radiation, and hence they should not be exposed to high radiation for longer time. Senior residents and patients have week immune system and hence they are more susceptible to high radiation. Please see Point 6 for more details.
8. Are there any International standards for :
Height at which the Towers should be installed – 30 m
Distance at which the Towers should be installed from Residences, Hospitals, Schools – 50 m
Power Transmission by the Towers – 1 to 2W in the dense urban area
9. The Cell Phone Service providers are very strong financially and have strong political contacts. They conduct Seminars in 5 Star Hotels, invite foreign delegates, and distribute printed leaflets manipulated at times. The Civil Society does not have all this. How to put our point forward? We need technical studies literature to support.
There are plenty of technical literatures reporting health hazards to human, birds, animals, plants, trees, etc. We need to raise funds, which can be utilized for creating awareness and fund epidemiological studies.
10. Unless we are able to create public awareness, nothing is going to happen as telcos lobby is very strong. How do we go about it to create mass awareness through TV and media? How do we engage NGOs and Political parties especially opposition parties to raise relevant questions in the Parliament and also create public awareness.
We have to create public awareness through digital media, i.e., facebook, twitter, blog, email, SMS, etc. We can also request cricketers and bollywood people to join the campaign, as reporters like to cover them. Also, involve school and college children; let us not underestimate youth of our country.
11. Can we get copies of rules and regulations for the radiation norms in the countries like Switzerland, Russia, Australia and Italy which countries seem to have adopted norms which are safe enough for all living beings?
We can get copies of rules and regulations of the radiation norms adopted in the other countries through internet.
Cell Tower Microwave Radiation Presentation by Magda Havas
Cell Tower Microwave Radiation Presentation by Magda Havas
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2012
Radiation from Mobile Towers in your Locality??
Concerned Person from Chennai (Name kept Anonymous)
"I must mention, where I stay, within 300 m, there are two cell phone towers, one of which is mounted on top of a one-story building housing a gym on the first floor"..." There are people living in the adjacent apartment of three-floors. On preliminary enquiring, I found that there was a cancer death in one of the tenants (old lady) on the second floor, (need to get more details); an aged person stricken with cancer on the third floor; another family on the third floor absolutely does not interact with anyone, avoidance behaviour (?); on the first floor, heart attack, sudden rise in blood sugar, joint pains, sleep disturbance. This is information collected on casual enquiry. The other cell phone tower is on top of a
one-story building, having many shops on the ground floor and facing many two-story apartments on the opposite side. There was a cancer death reported in one of the apartments there as well. There are many antennae mounted on this tower and some face the third floor of the apartment where I live (we live on the first floor). I have been staying here for 15 years, the towers have come up in the last 10 years, I need to check the exact date. I have made an observation of the trees, which show a very dull appearance"..
Concerned Person from Kolkata (Mr. Kisalay Mitra writes in his Blog - http://eco-friendly-ctn.blogspot.in/2012/04/radiation-solution-from-mobile-towers.html)
"I am very much concern to share the experience with others what I am facing high level of Radiations in my Residential building in my bed rooms emitted ( 24x7) from my adjacent cell tower installed 8 meters away from my building in another building's roof top , I am facing sleep disturbance, headache, lack of concentration, forgetful memory, joint pain -all these symptoms are happening in my family members, recently two of my close neighbors located very close to cell tower died in short gap in last January & Feb '12 due to sudden cardiac arrest & acute prostrate blockage"..
And there are many more from several other places, societies, cities and states who are complaining of similar health effects.
NOTE: Not everyone is exposed to similar amounts of radiation. People who are living in the main beam of an antenna or very near will be exposed to higher levels than others. This is one of the reasons why health effects are not uniformly seen among everyone in a building/locality.
"I must mention, where I stay, within 300 m, there are two cell phone towers, one of which is mounted on top of a one-story building housing a gym on the first floor"..." There are people living in the adjacent apartment of three-floors. On preliminary enquiring, I found that there was a cancer death in one of the tenants (old lady) on the second floor, (need to get more details); an aged person stricken with cancer on the third floor; another family on the third floor absolutely does not interact with anyone, avoidance behaviour (?); on the first floor, heart attack, sudden rise in blood sugar, joint pains, sleep disturbance. This is information collected on casual enquiry. The other cell phone tower is on top of a
one-story building, having many shops on the ground floor and facing many two-story apartments on the opposite side. There was a cancer death reported in one of the apartments there as well. There are many antennae mounted on this tower and some face the third floor of the apartment where I live (we live on the first floor). I have been staying here for 15 years, the towers have come up in the last 10 years, I need to check the exact date. I have made an observation of the trees, which show a very dull appearance"..
Concerned Person from Kolkata (Mr. Kisalay Mitra writes in his Blog - http://eco-friendly-ctn.blogspot.in/2012/04/radiation-solution-from-mobile-towers.html)
"I am very much concern to share the experience with others what I am facing high level of Radiations in my Residential building in my bed rooms emitted ( 24x7) from my adjacent cell tower installed 8 meters away from my building in another building's roof top , I am facing sleep disturbance, headache, lack of concentration, forgetful memory, joint pain -all these symptoms are happening in my family members, recently two of my close neighbors located very close to cell tower died in short gap in last January & Feb '12 due to sudden cardiac arrest & acute prostrate blockage"..
And there are many more from several other places, societies, cities and states who are complaining of similar health effects.
NOTE: Not everyone is exposed to similar amounts of radiation. People who are living in the main beam of an antenna or very near will be exposed to higher levels than others. This is one of the reasons why health effects are not uniformly seen among everyone in a building/locality.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012
REPLY TO - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at ASSOCHAM
5th April 2012
Reply to - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at the ASSOCHAM EMF Workshop 7th Feb 2012, New Delhi
On 7th-8th Feb 2012 The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) held a workshop and a conference on “Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in Delhi. Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay gave a presentation on Cell Tower/Cell Phone Radiation Hazards and Solutions. On March 27, 2012, a Round Table Conference on EMF Radiation was held in Delhi which was chaired by Mr. Kapil Sibal, DOT Minister. ASSOCHAM members had submitted comments on Prof. Girish Kumar's presentation at the Round Table Conference.
His reply to the comments are attached herewith. It is 72 pages long. Please find time to go through it and see the last page of his final recommendations for safe radiation norms.
REPLY TO - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at ASSOCHAM
The report can also be viewed at: REPLY TO - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at ASSOCHAM - www.scribd.com/doc/88233924
Please share it with your known people to create awareness.
Reply to - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at the ASSOCHAM EMF Workshop 7th Feb 2012, New Delhi
On 7th-8th Feb 2012 The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) held a workshop and a conference on “Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” in Delhi. Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay gave a presentation on Cell Tower/Cell Phone Radiation Hazards and Solutions. On March 27, 2012, a Round Table Conference on EMF Radiation was held in Delhi which was chaired by Mr. Kapil Sibal, DOT Minister. ASSOCHAM members had submitted comments on Prof. Girish Kumar's presentation at the Round Table Conference.
His reply to the comments are attached herewith. It is 72 pages long. Please find time to go through it and see the last page of his final recommendations for safe radiation norms.
REPLY TO - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at ASSOCHAM
The report can also be viewed at: REPLY TO - Comments on Prof Girish Kumar’s presentation on Cell Tower Radiation at ASSOCHAM - www.scribd.com/doc/88233924
Please share it with your known people to create awareness.
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012
Pedder Rd school joins SoBo citizens’ movement against cellphone towers
Activity High School students, and south Mumbai residents to take the protest to the CMO; actor Juhi Chawla had launched a similar stir last yearA school at Pedder Road has joined the citizens' movement against haphazard installation of mobile phone towers on south Mumbai buildings.
More than 300 students of Activity High School, supported by their teachers, parents, and residents of societies at Pedder Road, Carmichael Road and Malabar Hill, have launched a signature campaign demanding the State government regulate the number of mobile communication towers in the area.
Over the past few days, the students collected over 500 signatures, and plan to take the protest to the Chief Minister's Office. Taking a cue from actor Juhi Chawla's fight against mobile phone towers, the students also put up banners listing the health risks posed by such towers.
Last year, Juhi Chawla and her neighbours had put up banners against mobile phone towers outside their building at Malabar Hill, when they failed to get a response from the State government regarding electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation from cell phone towers installed at Sahyadri, the government guesthouse in the vicinity.
On Monday, the Activity High School principal Perin Bagli, with the help of a few activists, measured the EMF radiation levels in the lanes of south Mumbai. Almost all the lanes around Pedder Road, Carmichael Road and Malabar Hill showed the radiation levels “dangerously high”.
While recent research has stated that only 1 milli watt is considered a 'safe exposure', the exposure limits to radio frequency fields in India is allowed up to 9.2 watts per sq metre - a huge climb compared to the permissible limits in other countries (3 in Canada; 2 in Australia; 1.2 in Belgium; 0.1 in China; 0.02 in Russia).
Principal Bagli said, "The perils of mobile phone towers range from short-term problems such as fatigue and frequent headaches to more serious issues such as cancers, tumours and congenital deformities. We have many buildings around our school, and indeed across the area, where close to 10 mobile communication towers are installed. Many of these towers can be viewed from our classrooms, putting our students in the direct line of radiation."
Residents have pledged to support the school in this fight. Carmichael Road resident Dilnar Chichgar is one of them. "For the past many months, I have been appealing to the managing committees of the housing societies to limit the number of mobile communication towers, but they don't bother. Once the managing committee decides, the flat owners have to fall in line, which is ridiculous," she said.
"More than 500 residents have already pledged support to the campaign, and more will join in," she said, "In Ushakiran building at Carmichael Road, we saw six residents diagnosed with cancer in a period of six months. We can't prove the phone towers caused the problem, but the health perils cannot be ignored."
Mumbai Mirror - March 27, 2012 - Pg 4 and 5 Vinod Shah, from Ajanta Building at Carmichael Road, was one of the first to pledge his support to the cause. He said that he 'lost' his bedroom because of the mobile communication towers. "The building opposite by flat has 18 such towers, and my bedroom is in direct line of those towers. Even when the windows are shut, the room is high on radiation caused by electromagnetic frequency. I was forced to stop using that room."
Officials of many housing societies that Mumbai Mirror visited on Monday refused to comment on the issue. Many others said they were not flouting any rules. Nitin Shah, the secretary of Maheshwari Niketan, where a few communication towers have been installed, had this to say: "The towers have been installed as per the rules; nobody can object about those. My society has all permissions in place."
Link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2012032720120327034233745563fdf8a/Pedder-Rd-school-joins-SoBo-citizens%E2%80%99-movement-against-cellphone-towers.html
Fearing tower radiation, people knock at IIT door
The Indian Express - Mar 24 2012, Page 4
Growing apprehension of any harm from cellphone tower radiations has led to a spurt in people looking for solutions. In the past one year, 350-400 people have approached the electrical engineering department of IIT-Bombay with requests to measure possible radiation levels in their houses from nearby towers and many houses have already placed radiation shields as a precaution.
“Earlier, we never got requests from individuals to conduct radiation measurements in homes. But with an increase in cellphone towers across the country over the last few years, awareness of how they may affect health has also grown. In the last one year, we have done radiation measurement for over 150 homes,” said Prof Girish Kumar.
Besides Mumbai, radiation measurements have been done in Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Jaipur and Chennai. In the last 3 months, radiation protection shields have been placed in approximately 50 houses, mostly in Mumbai.
Cell towers have been a bone of contention and the debate rages on despite numerous studies for and against its harmful effects. In 2010, over 1,500 residents of South Mumbai’s Carmichael Road had demanded removal of cellphone towers from roofs. The effort was initiated by residents of Usha Kiran Building, who cited three cases of brain tumour and an alleged case of bone cancer as “strong evidence” of dangerous radiation from towers atop the adjacent building, Vijay Apartments.
Last year, residents of Malabar Hill, fearing that towers atop the state guest house, Sahyadri, were emitting harmful radiations, registered complaints and subsequently, the state ordered removal of 13 out of the 14 towers in the area.
In 2010, Kumar had submitted a report on “cell tower radiation” to the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), which listed sleep disruption, dizziness, altered reflexes, depression, cardiovascular problems, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson, DNA damage and prostrate cancer as possible impacts of cell tower radiation.
All such claims have been repeatedly denied by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), who said studies confirm that radiation from mobile phones/base stations, which are within permitted exposure limits, does not affect health. Further, a report on electromagnetic radiation from cell towers, commissioned by COAI and Association of Unified Telecom Providers of India (AUSPI), to carry out measurement of emissions from 300 locations in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, had concluded that radiation from cellular base stations was much below “compliance limit of International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standards”.
In Mumbai, the study was conducted at 96 locations and results showed emissions levels were much lower than permissible limit, ranging from 2 times lower (Baba Ambedkar Park) to over 11,000 times lower (Hyderabad Estate).
Kumar said protection solutions include thin and transparent shielding films with matched loads for windows, shielding curtains and wallpapers and other radiation shields. The technologies are developed at IIT Bombay and new ones are in the pipeline.
In 2010, worried about possible harmful effects of radiation from a television tower in Worli, a city developer had asked Kumar to install radiation shields in a 300-metre-high building in the area.
The work on installing the shields in the building, Palais Royale, 800 m south of the TV tower, is in progress. Such an effort has also been initiated for a building in Pune.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fearing-tower-radiation-people-knock-at-iit-door/927823/0
Growing apprehension of any harm from cellphone tower radiations has led to a spurt in people looking for solutions. In the past one year, 350-400 people have approached the electrical engineering department of IIT-Bombay with requests to measure possible radiation levels in their houses from nearby towers and many houses have already placed radiation shields as a precaution.
“Earlier, we never got requests from individuals to conduct radiation measurements in homes. But with an increase in cellphone towers across the country over the last few years, awareness of how they may affect health has also grown. In the last one year, we have done radiation measurement for over 150 homes,” said Prof Girish Kumar.
Besides Mumbai, radiation measurements have been done in Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Jaipur and Chennai. In the last 3 months, radiation protection shields have been placed in approximately 50 houses, mostly in Mumbai.
Cell towers have been a bone of contention and the debate rages on despite numerous studies for and against its harmful effects. In 2010, over 1,500 residents of South Mumbai’s Carmichael Road had demanded removal of cellphone towers from roofs. The effort was initiated by residents of Usha Kiran Building, who cited three cases of brain tumour and an alleged case of bone cancer as “strong evidence” of dangerous radiation from towers atop the adjacent building, Vijay Apartments.
Last year, residents of Malabar Hill, fearing that towers atop the state guest house, Sahyadri, were emitting harmful radiations, registered complaints and subsequently, the state ordered removal of 13 out of the 14 towers in the area.
In 2010, Kumar had submitted a report on “cell tower radiation” to the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), which listed sleep disruption, dizziness, altered reflexes, depression, cardiovascular problems, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson, DNA damage and prostrate cancer as possible impacts of cell tower radiation.
All such claims have been repeatedly denied by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), who said studies confirm that radiation from mobile phones/base stations, which are within permitted exposure limits, does not affect health. Further, a report on electromagnetic radiation from cell towers, commissioned by COAI and Association of Unified Telecom Providers of India (AUSPI), to carry out measurement of emissions from 300 locations in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, had concluded that radiation from cellular base stations was much below “compliance limit of International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standards”.
In Mumbai, the study was conducted at 96 locations and results showed emissions levels were much lower than permissible limit, ranging from 2 times lower (Baba Ambedkar Park) to over 11,000 times lower (Hyderabad Estate).
Kumar said protection solutions include thin and transparent shielding films with matched loads for windows, shielding curtains and wallpapers and other radiation shields. The technologies are developed at IIT Bombay and new ones are in the pipeline.
In 2010, worried about possible harmful effects of radiation from a television tower in Worli, a city developer had asked Kumar to install radiation shields in a 300-metre-high building in the area.
The work on installing the shields in the building, Palais Royale, 800 m south of the TV tower, is in progress. Such an effort has also been initiated for a building in Pune.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fearing-tower-radiation-people-knock-at-iit-door/927823/0
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012
THE LETHAL NETWORK - Times of India: Kolkata, India
Times of India: Kolkata, March 12, 2012: Pg 2
More cases where people people living near mobile towers are reporting health problems like nagging, headaches,dizziness, tiredness etc.
Cell Tower Radiation: Kolkata - The Lethal Netwrok - Times of India Pg 2
More cases where people people living near mobile towers are reporting health problems like nagging, headaches,dizziness, tiredness etc.
Cell Tower Radiation: Kolkata - The Lethal Netwrok - Times of India Pg 2
SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012
EMR Action Day - 21 April 2012
Visit - http://www.emractionday.org/ to read News, Stories and more on alternate options
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
How harmful are your mobile phones and towers?
Interview in health.india.com
We’ve all heard about it – mobile phones are harmful to health. There are several chain emails, Facebook and Twitter updates about it. We wanted to get to the bottom of it all. So we caught up with Neha Kumar an expert on the topic of mobile radiation and director, NESA, a firm which designs radiation measurement and shielding equipment. She has been studying about radiation from cell phones/towers for about three years and has interacted with experts, researchers, doctors and patients around the world who have been affected by prolonged exposure to cell phone/tower radiation. Excerpts from the interview:
How exactly does mobile radiation cause health problems?
Mobile phones and towers emit electromagnetic radiation having health effects which can be divided into thermal and non-thermal. Thermal effects refer to heating effect which you observe if you hold the phone for long near your ear.
Non-thermal effects on the cells, genes and the DNA and are more harmful than thermal effects.
Excessive use of mobiles can lead to headache, sleep disturbance, lack of concentration, memory loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and increased risk of brain cancer.
Having mobile towers in your neighbourhood can also pose health problems like severe headache, sleep disturbance, constant body pain, memory problems, joint pains etc. The more severe health effects noted include infertility, miscarriage, neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc.), heart problems and cancer.
Are these mobile radiations more harmful for any particular demographic?
Children are more vulnerable due to a developing immune system and thinner skulls which allows radiation to penetrate deeper. Women run the risk of health problems like hormonal imbalances, miscarriages, breast and ovarian cancer as they tend to spend more time at home and are exposed continuously.
Is there any solid evidence to back the findings that these radiations are harmful to people?
There are several national and international studies where scientists have found a strong correlation between health problems and exposure to microwaves from mobile phones and mobile towers. Prof Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay had sent a report to Department of Telecommunications (DOT), India which has more than 200 references from peer reviewed publications in the end.
What precautions can you take to reduce your exposure to the radiation from mobile phones?
Some precautions that you can take:
# Limit your use, talk for short durations and switch sides during long conversations. SMS/IM chat whenever possible.
# Use the land-line, whenever possible
# Use speakerphone or wired hands free, but keep the phone at least 1 feet away.
# When not in use, keep the mobile phone away from your body as they still continue to emit some radiation while trying to communicate with the base station by sending at least one pulse per minute. Do not keep it in your pocket, under your pillow etc.
# Use cell phones with lower Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values. One can find the SAR value of a phone by simply searching-
If towers are responsible is the Govt. doing anything about it? Are there any regulations that mobile companies have to follow?
Till 2009, the Indian government had not adopted any standards for safe exposure from mobile phone and mobile towers. In 2009, India adopted radiation norms specified by ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) guidelines of 1998. However, ICNIRP guideline is outdated as it is only intended to protect the public against short term gross heating effects and NOT against ‘biological’ effects such as cancer and genetic damage from long term exposure. Also these safety standards are based on 6 minutes per day exposure, without accounting for people who live close to cell towers 24/7.
In Jan 2011, the report by Inter-Ministerial Committee mentioned several health hazards at levels thousand to ten thousand times below the ICNIRP standards and made recommendations to reduce the exposure to 1/10th of what ICNIRP had earlier recommended. However, even that has not been implemented yet.
If someone lives near mobile towers, what can they do about it? How can they detect whether they are being harmed or not? Who can they complain to?
If someone lives close to a mobile tower:
# One can request the operators to reduce the power transmission
# Change the angle of the antenna so that no house falls in the main beam of the antenna, or
# Go for Shielding Solution
For detection, NESA has come up with a low cost, simple and easy to use Cell Tower Radiation Detector, DETEX 189 which is based on the health recommendation by Bioinitiative Group. It has an LED indicator as well as buzzer to find if one is living in a safe, caution or danger zone. Unfortunately, right now in India there is no e-mail id or authority where one can directly complain. However, one can try writing to TUG/DOT/TRAI.
Is there any active research/initiative taking place to counter these harmful effects? What alternatives do people have?
All over the world, people are going for fibre optic solution, low power transmitting antennas and in-building solutions and repeaters.Alternatively, areas where the radiation levels are high, people can go for radiation shielding solutions like – Window Shielding Film, Shielding Curtains, Radiation Shield units etc.
If you are interested in more information or the products please free feel to contact Neha Kumar, Director, NESA.
Email – nesaglobal@gmail.com, neha@nesaglobal.com
Contact no. – (022) 25722128
Link: http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/how-harmful-are-your-mobile-phones-and-towers/
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
International Conference - Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” - 8th Feb 2012, Hotel Leela Palace, New Delhi
International Health Conference - “Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry” - 8th February 2012, Hotel Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
http://www.scribd.com/Neha@Scribd/d/80697299-Workshop-on-Cell-Tower-Radiation-Delhi-Agenda-of-Workshop
Workshop on Cell Tower Radiation - Delhi - Agenda of Workshop
http://www.scribd.com/Neha@Scribd/d/80697299-Workshop-on-Cell-Tower-Radiation-Delhi-Agenda-of-Workshop
Workshop on Cell Tower Radiation - Delhi - Agenda of Workshop
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012
Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Goa, Delhi,Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore - News from all these states showing concern on Cell Tower Radiation
Concern in Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Goa, Delhi,Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore - News from all these states showing concern on Cell Tower Radiation. Does the Industry still have to say there is not enough evidence and concern!! http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/cell-towers
HYDERABAD: 2 more cell towers removed
HYDERABAD: Two more cellphone towers were removed at Fatehnagar on Thursday by civic officials following complaints of radiation from locals.
On Wednesday, two cellphone towers were removed by the officials of the town planning wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on a complaint by Sardar Patel House Owners Society of Fatehnagar. They alleged that a woman died of cancer due to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the cellphone towers.
Also, several cellphone towers do not have structural stability. With weak structures, there were incidents of either buildings developing cracks or collapsing due to weight of the towers.
The GHMC had served notices on all operators a few months ago on the AP High Court's directions to regulate rooftop cellphone towers. There are nearly 2,800 cell towers in the GHMC area. Of them, 1,154 cellphone towers were erected on building rooftops, with 50 being ground-based, remaining 1,791 were rooftop poles.
Telecom giant Airtel has the highest number of cellphone towers with 432 towers, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) 241, Tata 218, Vodafone 120 towers, Idea 30 and Reliance 55.
GHMC officials said rooftop cellphone towers were of concern as they carry weight and structural stability was required for them.
After a building developed cracks in Kapra and High Court directions, the GHMC stopped giving permissions to erect cellphone towers in the city.
"New permissions for cellphone towers were stopped in February 2008. Towers which were erected in the last 10 years are being checked," GHMC chief city planner B Purushottam Reddy told TOI.
The GHMC gave telecom operators time till January 31, 2009, to give structural stability certificate and drawings, building owners' agreement copy, no objection certificate from neighbours and surrounding areas and other documents.
For checking structural stability, seven agencies__Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Osmania University Engineering College, Vasavi Engineering College, Chaitanya Bharati Institute of Technology (CBIT), Matrusri College of Engineering, M J College of Engineering and Civil Aid__were enlisted by the corporation.
For checking the cell towers, the operators were asked to pay Rs 25,000 for each tower. According to GHMC officials, Airtel has not paid the required Rs 25,000 per each tower and BSNL paid only part amount and rest have paid the required amount.
"Every agency was entrusted 60 towers initially. The process of checking structural stability is on," GHMC superintending engineer Mohd Abdul Rahman told TOI.
On Wednesday, two cellphone towers were removed by the officials of the town planning wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on a complaint by Sardar Patel House Owners Society of Fatehnagar. They alleged that a woman died of cancer due to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the cellphone towers.
Also, several cellphone towers do not have structural stability. With weak structures, there were incidents of either buildings developing cracks or collapsing due to weight of the towers.
The GHMC had served notices on all operators a few months ago on the AP High Court's directions to regulate rooftop cellphone towers. There are nearly 2,800 cell towers in the GHMC area. Of them, 1,154 cellphone towers were erected on building rooftops, with 50 being ground-based, remaining 1,791 were rooftop poles.
Telecom giant Airtel has the highest number of cellphone towers with 432 towers, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) 241, Tata 218, Vodafone 120 towers, Idea 30 and Reliance 55.
GHMC officials said rooftop cellphone towers were of concern as they carry weight and structural stability was required for them.
After a building developed cracks in Kapra and High Court directions, the GHMC stopped giving permissions to erect cellphone towers in the city.
"New permissions for cellphone towers were stopped in February 2008. Towers which were erected in the last 10 years are being checked," GHMC chief city planner B Purushottam Reddy told TOI.
The GHMC gave telecom operators time till January 31, 2009, to give structural stability certificate and drawings, building owners' agreement copy, no objection certificate from neighbours and surrounding areas and other documents.
For checking structural stability, seven agencies__Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Osmania University Engineering College, Vasavi Engineering College, Chaitanya Bharati Institute of Technology (CBIT), Matrusri College of Engineering, M J College of Engineering and Civil Aid__were enlisted by the corporation.
For checking the cell towers, the operators were asked to pay Rs 25,000 for each tower. According to GHMC officials, Airtel has not paid the required Rs 25,000 per each tower and BSNL paid only part amount and rest have paid the required amount.
"Every agency was entrusted 60 towers initially. The process of checking structural stability is on," GHMC superintending engineer Mohd Abdul Rahman told TOI.
MOHALI: Cell towers: GMADA to act
MOHALI: Come October, owners who have not acted on the directions of GMADA to meet security standards for mobile towers erected atop their buildings may have to pay a heavy price for the laxity.
GMADA has decided to remove over a dozen such mobile towers that have been erected in violation of safety norms. Earlier, as many as 100 structures were put on notice by GMADA seeking a reply against the illegal practice.
Talking to TOI, GMADA estate officer Balbir Singh Dhol stated that according to a fresh survey conducted by field staff, there were at least 97 mobile towers located in commercial, industrial and residential areas of Mohali. "We had issued notices to all these mobile tower owners to either get their structures regularized by meeting safety standards. Subsequently, 40 such mobile tower owners met GMADA officials to explain their position," he added.
The owners were educated about safety requirements such as height and material. Most of them had agreed to meet the safety standards within next couple of weeks, Dhol stated.
Meanwhile, GMADA had issued a second notice to rest of the violators. A final notice was also issued to almost a dozen illegal builders. "If no reply is received from these violators by September 30, GMADA will have no choice but to remove the said towers. Contrary to GMADA policy, at least a dozen mobile towers are still located in residential areas. These will have to be shifted to commercial or industrial areas," the estate officer said, adding that there was no provision in the policy to accommodate such towers in residential areas. "These are deemed as illegal," he added.
Meanwhile, residents continue to live in fear of health hazards caused due to radiations. Various studies have shown that prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation could be exposed if such towers are shifted to commercial areas.
Expressing concern, Gautam Mittal, a BPO employee residing in Phase 3B2 where one such mobile towers is located, stated that earlier in the year Telecom regulator TRAI had issued guidelines to mobile phone operators across the country to adhere to safety regulations in residential areas. "It is a welcome move, though a bit delayed," he added.
On the other hand, Nishant Anand, an advocate residing in Phase VII, said shifting these mobile towers from residential areas may lead to loss of network. "The move may backfire as already a large number of people living in Phase VII experience network failures. The situation is worse in flats as those living on ground floors experience frequent signal losses," he added.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-09-17/chandigarh/28240483_1_mobile-towers-gmada-estate-officer-cell-towers
GMADA has decided to remove over a dozen such mobile towers that have been erected in violation of safety norms. Earlier, as many as 100 structures were put on notice by GMADA seeking a reply against the illegal practice.
Talking to TOI, GMADA estate officer Balbir Singh Dhol stated that according to a fresh survey conducted by field staff, there were at least 97 mobile towers located in commercial, industrial and residential areas of Mohali. "We had issued notices to all these mobile tower owners to either get their structures regularized by meeting safety standards. Subsequently, 40 such mobile tower owners met GMADA officials to explain their position," he added.
The owners were educated about safety requirements such as height and material. Most of them had agreed to meet the safety standards within next couple of weeks, Dhol stated.
Meanwhile, GMADA had issued a second notice to rest of the violators. A final notice was also issued to almost a dozen illegal builders. "If no reply is received from these violators by September 30, GMADA will have no choice but to remove the said towers. Contrary to GMADA policy, at least a dozen mobile towers are still located in residential areas. These will have to be shifted to commercial or industrial areas," the estate officer said, adding that there was no provision in the policy to accommodate such towers in residential areas. "These are deemed as illegal," he added.
Meanwhile, residents continue to live in fear of health hazards caused due to radiations. Various studies have shown that prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation could be exposed if such towers are shifted to commercial areas.
Expressing concern, Gautam Mittal, a BPO employee residing in Phase 3B2 where one such mobile towers is located, stated that earlier in the year Telecom regulator TRAI had issued guidelines to mobile phone operators across the country to adhere to safety regulations in residential areas. "It is a welcome move, though a bit delayed," he added.
On the other hand, Nishant Anand, an advocate residing in Phase VII, said shifting these mobile towers from residential areas may lead to loss of network. "The move may backfire as already a large number of people living in Phase VII experience network failures. The situation is worse in flats as those living on ground floors experience frequent signal losses," he added.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-09-17/chandigarh/28240483_1_mobile-towers-gmada-estate-officer-cell-towers
HYDERABAD: Resurvey of city cell towers soon
HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will take up a resurvey of cell towers in the city, including those that came up in the last two years.
A decision to this effect was taken by mayor Banda Karthika Reddy on Tuesday at a meeting, with engineering and town planning officials, on cell towers.
A survey was conducted by the engineering wing in January 2008 to ascertain the number of cell towers as telecom operators were erecting towers without any permission from the corporation.
According to the 2008 survey, there are 2,997 cell towers belonging to operators like Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, Idea, Reliance and Tata. Later, on the directions of the AP High Court, the GHMC had got the cell towers' structural stability verified by private agencies last year. The court had directed the GHMC to check stability of towers which were erected prior to January 2008 without any permission.
Structural stability of each cell tower was checked by private consultants by collecting Rs 25,000 from each company. The stability study revealed that 198 towers were unsafe and structurally weak. Now, during the meeting, it came to the notice that several operators had erected cell towers in the last two years which were not checked by the corporation.
Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy directed the engineering and town planning officials to conduct circle-wise resurvey and submit a report within 15 days.
In view of concerns over radiation from cell towers, the mayor has decided to write a letter to the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) to find out whether cell towers pose danger to human beings. It was also decided to take steps on removal of structurally unsafe cell towers and collect Rs one lakh fee from each cell tower as decided by the state government by overcoming legal hurdles as some operators had approached the High Court and got status quo orders.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-29/hyderabad/28264774_1_cell-towers-structural-stability-check-stability
A decision to this effect was taken by mayor Banda Karthika Reddy on Tuesday at a meeting, with engineering and town planning officials, on cell towers.
A survey was conducted by the engineering wing in January 2008 to ascertain the number of cell towers as telecom operators were erecting towers without any permission from the corporation.
According to the 2008 survey, there are 2,997 cell towers belonging to operators like Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, Idea, Reliance and Tata. Later, on the directions of the AP High Court, the GHMC had got the cell towers' structural stability verified by private agencies last year. The court had directed the GHMC to check stability of towers which were erected prior to January 2008 without any permission.
Structural stability of each cell tower was checked by private consultants by collecting Rs 25,000 from each company. The stability study revealed that 198 towers were unsafe and structurally weak. Now, during the meeting, it came to the notice that several operators had erected cell towers in the last two years which were not checked by the corporation.
Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy directed the engineering and town planning officials to conduct circle-wise resurvey and submit a report within 15 days.
In view of concerns over radiation from cell towers, the mayor has decided to write a letter to the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) to find out whether cell towers pose danger to human beings. It was also decided to take steps on removal of structurally unsafe cell towers and collect Rs one lakh fee from each cell tower as decided by the state government by overcoming legal hurdles as some operators had approached the High Court and got status quo orders.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-29/hyderabad/28264774_1_cell-towers-structural-stability-check-stability
Gurgaon: MCG to seal 298 ‘hazardous’ mobile towers near houses
GURGAON: In a bizarre move, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has decided to seal all the mobile towers in its jurisdiction with immediate effect, citing health hazards.
This move is seen affecting mobile services particularly in the old city. While it's not clear what the health hazards caused by mobile towers are, this decision was taken unanimously during Friday's House meeting. There are a total of 502 mobile towers in the city out of which 298 are under the MCG's jurisdiction.
The MCG wants the mobile operators to relocate these towers from residential areas to commercial locations. "It's a well known fact that the radiation from these towers causes deadly diseases like cancer and we want to ensure the safety of our residents. There are hundreds of mobile towers in residential areas and in case somebody gets affected by this radiation everybody will blame us for it," said mayor Vimal Yadav.
According to Yadav, mobile operators have to pay Rs 2.5 lakh per tower annually to the municipality, but they have not done so in the past three years.
Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/MCG-to-seal-298-hazardous-mobile-towers-near-houses/articleshow/11394420.cms
This move is seen affecting mobile services particularly in the old city. While it's not clear what the health hazards caused by mobile towers are, this decision was taken unanimously during Friday's House meeting. There are a total of 502 mobile towers in the city out of which 298 are under the MCG's jurisdiction.
The MCG wants the mobile operators to relocate these towers from residential areas to commercial locations. "It's a well known fact that the radiation from these towers causes deadly diseases like cancer and we want to ensure the safety of our residents. There are hundreds of mobile towers in residential areas and in case somebody gets affected by this radiation everybody will blame us for it," said mayor Vimal Yadav.
According to Yadav, mobile operators have to pay Rs 2.5 lakh per tower annually to the municipality, but they have not done so in the past three years.
Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/MCG-to-seal-298-hazardous-mobile-towers-near-houses/articleshow/11394420.cms
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012
WHO warning over mobile tower radiation
It's been 9 months since the WHO warned of a cell phone and mobile tower radiation leading to increased risks of cancer. So what has the government done so far to protect and raise awareness on the potential risks and do's and dont's. The issue of radiation covers two major areas. The first - radiation from mobile phone towers that have cropped up all over cities over the last decade posing a huge health risk. The second is radiation from cellphone that we are exposed to on a day to day basis.
News Coverage in Jaipur, Rajasthan - Dec 2011
When the Kasliwal brothers (Mr. Sanjay and Sudhir Kasliwal)developed brain tumour and their dog developed stomach cancer within a gap of only a few months, their doctors advised them to look for mobile towers in the neighbouring as they suspected radiation from mobile towers to be a possible cause. What was found was quite alarming. There where antennas of various mobile companies installed on a tower just within 20 meter distance from their house. On measuring the radiation levels, the levels were found to be quite high at several places. When the word spread, others came forward and it was found that there were seven cancer cases in total in the vicinity and many others were facing health problems like sleep disturbance, headaches, fatigue, concentration problems etc. Following this news there were series of articles in Jaipur Newspapers.
The media gave their contact numbers requesting people who were facing health problems from mobile towers to contact them. Several people called them and their stories were shared in the papers. Besides this, school children were seen with banners protesting against excess radiation from mobile towers requesting to reduce the power transmission. Besides humans, a fall in bird and bee population has also been observed.
The media gave their contact numbers requesting people who were facing health problems from mobile towers to contact them. Several people called them and their stories were shared in the papers. Besides this, school children were seen with banners protesting against excess radiation from mobile towers requesting to reduce the power transmission. Besides humans, a fall in bird and bee population has also been observed.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2012
Form panel to assess mobile towers' impact: HC
Times of India - 11 Jan 2011
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday directed for constitution of a seven-member panel to assess the impact of mobile towers installed in residential areas and present its report in the court on April 16.
A division bench of Justice DP Singh and Justice SC Chaurasia passed the above order on the writ petition filed by Ram Singh Jauhari. The petitioner had stated that the radiation emitted from the mobile towers is dangerous to the health of the common people. Scientific reports have confirmed the fact. In this view, he sought ban on installing mobile towers in the residential areas.
While constituting the panel, the bench said that four IIT specialists from Kanpur, Delhi, Kharagpur and Mumbai would comprise the panel. There would be three other specialists from other fields.
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday directed for constitution of a seven-member panel to assess the impact of mobile towers installed in residential areas and present its report in the court on April 16.
A division bench of Justice DP Singh and Justice SC Chaurasia passed the above order on the writ petition filed by Ram Singh Jauhari. The petitioner had stated that the radiation emitted from the mobile towers is dangerous to the health of the common people. Scientific reports have confirmed the fact. In this view, he sought ban on installing mobile towers in the residential areas.
While constituting the panel, the bench said that four IIT specialists from Kanpur, Delhi, Kharagpur and Mumbai would comprise the panel. There would be three other specialists from other fields.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012
National Seminar on Mobile Phone Tower
Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry
National Seminar on Mobile Phone Tower, held in association with GCCI and Dept. of Science, Technology and Environment (DSTE), on 6th Jan 2012 at GCCI, Panaji. This seminar was aimed at creating awareness and to develop understanding of health risk associated with long term cell phone and tower radiation exposure and also appropriate remedies, suitable precautions, towards being healthy.
The day long programme had four technical sessions with six presentations on various topics by Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT, Bombay, Mr.Pradeep Phadke, GTL,Pune, Dr. Avadhani, Manipal University, Dr.Namrata Redkar, Mr.Sujeet Kumar, DGM, BSNL, Goa, including a panel Discussion on “Use of Mobile Phone- Boon or Bane”, moderated by Deepak Chodankar, Vice President, Smartlink Network solutions. Eminent personalities like Mr.Shambhu Calangutkar, TataIndicom, Mrs. Janet Desouza, Psychologist, Prof.Girish Kumar, IIT,Bombay and Mr.Pradeep Phadke, GTL,Pune participated in the panel discussion.
Prof Girish Kumar's presentations are available for download:
Link: http://www.goachamber.org/html/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=980:national-seminar-on-mobile-phone-tower&catid=27:chamber-newsdesk&Itemid=41
National Seminar on Mobile Phone Tower, held in association with GCCI and Dept. of Science, Technology and Environment (DSTE), on 6th Jan 2012 at GCCI, Panaji. This seminar was aimed at creating awareness and to develop understanding of health risk associated with long term cell phone and tower radiation exposure and also appropriate remedies, suitable precautions, towards being healthy.
The day long programme had four technical sessions with six presentations on various topics by Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT, Bombay, Mr.Pradeep Phadke, GTL,Pune, Dr. Avadhani, Manipal University, Dr.Namrata Redkar, Mr.Sujeet Kumar, DGM, BSNL, Goa, including a panel Discussion on “Use of Mobile Phone- Boon or Bane”, moderated by Deepak Chodankar, Vice President, Smartlink Network solutions. Eminent personalities like Mr.Shambhu Calangutkar, TataIndicom, Mrs. Janet Desouza, Psychologist, Prof.Girish Kumar, IIT,Bombay and Mr.Pradeep Phadke, GTL,Pune participated in the panel discussion.
Prof Girish Kumar's presentations are available for download:
Link: http://www.goachamber.org/html/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=980:national-seminar-on-mobile-phone-tower&catid=27:chamber-newsdesk&Itemid=41
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012
City’s signal drops as hsg societies cell out over health fears: Mumbai
Cover Story - Mumbai Mirror - 7 Jan 2012
Cell tower installation companies in a big bind
City’s signal drops as hsg societies cell out over health fears
• Situation changes from five years ago when housing societies welcomed the big bucks from cell companies; urgent need to get norms in place to limit and monitor radiation, say experts
September, 2011: Shankar Mahal society in Breach Candy gets rid of a cell tower that has been on its terrace for five years, and has been taking care of a large part of its maintenance cost.
January, 2012: Opposite Dadar station, Bakul building is embroiled in a tussle to have the cell tower, which been on its terrace since 2004, removed.
January, 2012: At Bandra's Perry Cross Road, the residents' welfare association has been circulating articles and reports talking about health hazards of cellular radiation, and dissuading its 45 societies from renewing contracts or installing new towers.
This situation is the exact opposite of how things were five years ago, when buildings were vying for have cell towers as a means of earning revenue. But recent reports about the possible hazards of cell-towers radiation is prompting a number of housing societies across the city to choose health over money.
This, in turn, is creating an odd conundrum wherein diminishing towers are being cited as one of the primary causes of network problems in large parts of the city.Sameer Sinha, a corporate communications official at Indus Towers, which manages the cell towers of leading companies such as Vodafone and Airtel, describes the situation as a “vicious circle”.
“There is lot of misinformation among societies. At our end we are finding facts regarding radiation and passing on the same to our clients. GSM is a European technology. Had there been fear or proof of health hazards, they would have not continued with it,” he said.
The fact, however, is that these disputes are now a world-wide phenomenon, with laws in several Western countries already banning the installation of towers near schools and playgrounds. And while there may be no official studies proving a link between radiation and health problems, there are also none that can conclusively deny it.
Residents of Breach Candy’s Shankar Mahal Society, for example, had a sudden rethink about the cell tower on their terrace after doctors told them that it could be the cause of acute health problems suffered by two residents – a 13-year-old boy who was diagnosed with lymphocytic leukaemia and a 66-year-old man who had kidney trouble.
Though they were getting Rs 6 lakh per annum as rent from the mobile company, they decided that the price they were paying in return was too heavy.
Sunil Majithia, a former secretary of the building, told Mumbai Mirror: “Once we were told that the illnesses could be due to the proximity to harmful radiation coming from the tower, we had no option but to get rid of it.”
This, however, led to people using the Vodafone service in the Breach Candy vicinity experiencing network problems. “For a good three months, we had no network, and even when we got some, the frequency was poor. Since I am running a full-time business, this caused me a lot of inconvenience,” Nihaal Bagadia, another resident of Shankar Mahal, said.
A similar tussle is now playing out at Bakul building on Senapati Bapat Marg. Building residents have been battling for over a year to get the cell towers removed from their building terrace. This month, seven years after a tower was installed on their terrace, they decided to not renew the contract.
“We have been following health reports which clearly indicate cell towers emit harmful radiation. Though the cell towers get us revenue, we have realised our health is more important,” said Dr Uday Shankar Rao, who stays on the third floor of the building.
If the tower is removed, approximately 70,000 commuters who come to Dadar station are likely to suffer because of no network.
With the situation getting worse by the day, cell companies say they’re finding it extremely difficult to maintain quality services in Mumbai.
The high cost of land makes it impossible for them to acquire open plots and erect towers, and towers on street lights and poles are “not feasible”. The only other option left is commercial complexes and slum rehabilitation buildings. “It’s relatively easier to convince owners of such buildings mainly because they’re conscious about revenues. But the problem is that not all of them are strategically located. The network of criss-crossing housing societies spread across the city are much better,” Sinha said.
“After Shankar Mahal residents asked us to go, for example, it took us two months to find an alternative site. Similarly at Bakul, we’ve been desperately trying to look for another society within 80 meter radius but haven’t found it yet. We do not want our end-users to suffer,” he added.
The crux of the problem, contended Girish Kumar, a professor at IIT, was that service providers were not following proper radiation norms.
“Several studies across the globe, and my own study, have said that higher radiation levels pose a hazard to citizens. The government must enforce strict rules and regular monitoring must be done by a third party,” he said.
“The rate at which residents are refusing to allow towers atop their buildings, there will be no towers left in the city and all cell users will be at receiving end. We must face the truth that cell phones are a necessary evil and come up with a comprehensive policy to ensure they don’t harm us.”
Read more: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/20120107201201070225293124c40fcf6/City%E2%80%99s-signal-drops-as-hsg-societies-cell-out-over-health-fears.html
Cell tower installation companies in a big bind
City’s signal drops as hsg societies cell out over health fears
• Situation changes from five years ago when housing societies welcomed the big bucks from cell companies; urgent need to get norms in place to limit and monitor radiation, say experts
September, 2011: Shankar Mahal society in Breach Candy gets rid of a cell tower that has been on its terrace for five years, and has been taking care of a large part of its maintenance cost.
January, 2012: Opposite Dadar station, Bakul building is embroiled in a tussle to have the cell tower, which been on its terrace since 2004, removed.
January, 2012: At Bandra's Perry Cross Road, the residents' welfare association has been circulating articles and reports talking about health hazards of cellular radiation, and dissuading its 45 societies from renewing contracts or installing new towers.
This situation is the exact opposite of how things were five years ago, when buildings were vying for have cell towers as a means of earning revenue. But recent reports about the possible hazards of cell-towers radiation is prompting a number of housing societies across the city to choose health over money.
This, in turn, is creating an odd conundrum wherein diminishing towers are being cited as one of the primary causes of network problems in large parts of the city.Sameer Sinha, a corporate communications official at Indus Towers, which manages the cell towers of leading companies such as Vodafone and Airtel, describes the situation as a “vicious circle”.
“There is lot of misinformation among societies. At our end we are finding facts regarding radiation and passing on the same to our clients. GSM is a European technology. Had there been fear or proof of health hazards, they would have not continued with it,” he said.
The fact, however, is that these disputes are now a world-wide phenomenon, with laws in several Western countries already banning the installation of towers near schools and playgrounds. And while there may be no official studies proving a link between radiation and health problems, there are also none that can conclusively deny it.
Residents of Breach Candy’s Shankar Mahal Society, for example, had a sudden rethink about the cell tower on their terrace after doctors told them that it could be the cause of acute health problems suffered by two residents – a 13-year-old boy who was diagnosed with lymphocytic leukaemia and a 66-year-old man who had kidney trouble.
Though they were getting Rs 6 lakh per annum as rent from the mobile company, they decided that the price they were paying in return was too heavy.
Sunil Majithia, a former secretary of the building, told Mumbai Mirror: “Once we were told that the illnesses could be due to the proximity to harmful radiation coming from the tower, we had no option but to get rid of it.”
This, however, led to people using the Vodafone service in the Breach Candy vicinity experiencing network problems. “For a good three months, we had no network, and even when we got some, the frequency was poor. Since I am running a full-time business, this caused me a lot of inconvenience,” Nihaal Bagadia, another resident of Shankar Mahal, said.
A similar tussle is now playing out at Bakul building on Senapati Bapat Marg. Building residents have been battling for over a year to get the cell towers removed from their building terrace. This month, seven years after a tower was installed on their terrace, they decided to not renew the contract.
“We have been following health reports which clearly indicate cell towers emit harmful radiation. Though the cell towers get us revenue, we have realised our health is more important,” said Dr Uday Shankar Rao, who stays on the third floor of the building.
If the tower is removed, approximately 70,000 commuters who come to Dadar station are likely to suffer because of no network.
With the situation getting worse by the day, cell companies say they’re finding it extremely difficult to maintain quality services in Mumbai.
The high cost of land makes it impossible for them to acquire open plots and erect towers, and towers on street lights and poles are “not feasible”. The only other option left is commercial complexes and slum rehabilitation buildings. “It’s relatively easier to convince owners of such buildings mainly because they’re conscious about revenues. But the problem is that not all of them are strategically located. The network of criss-crossing housing societies spread across the city are much better,” Sinha said.
“After Shankar Mahal residents asked us to go, for example, it took us two months to find an alternative site. Similarly at Bakul, we’ve been desperately trying to look for another society within 80 meter radius but haven’t found it yet. We do not want our end-users to suffer,” he added.
The crux of the problem, contended Girish Kumar, a professor at IIT, was that service providers were not following proper radiation norms.
“Several studies across the globe, and my own study, have said that higher radiation levels pose a hazard to citizens. The government must enforce strict rules and regular monitoring must be done by a third party,” he said.
“The rate at which residents are refusing to allow towers atop their buildings, there will be no towers left in the city and all cell users will be at receiving end. We must face the truth that cell phones are a necessary evil and come up with a comprehensive policy to ensure they don’t harm us.”
Read more: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/20120107201201070225293124c40fcf6/City%E2%80%99s-signal-drops-as-hsg-societies-cell-out-over-health-fears.html
Awareness on Cell Tower Radiation: Goa
'Mobile radiation ups cancer risk'
Times of India, Goa, 7 Jan 2012
Panaji: "The 4.5 lakh mobile towers in India are turning the country into an open microwave," warns Girish Kumar, researcher and faculty at IIT Bombay.
Elaborating, Kumar who has conducted studies on mobile radiation said, "With 1w power (same output as cell phones) temperatures increase by 1'C in 500 seconds (9 minutes)."
Kumar was speaking at the national seminar on 'mobile phone and tower radiations-risks and remedies' at Ghall, Panaji, by Government Polytechnic Bicholim, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( GCCI) and the department of science, technology and environment ( DTSE).
He noted that mobile companies were choosing to install higher intensity towers to cut costs but were compromising on public safety. Citing a case study where six residents of a high-rise Mumbai building facing a mobile tower were affected by cancer, he went on to explain the link of rise in cancer cases among residents living near cell towers.
"Those living in a 50-300m radius face a high risk-much worse than smoking as you cannot see or smell radiation," he said, while adding that "you cannot have coincidences everywhere".
"Biological effects include drying of fluids around the eyes, brain joints, heart and abdomen leading to sleep disruption, headaches, lack of concentration and memory loss, due to changes in the electrical activity of the brain. Prolonged exposure to mobile radiation increases chances of cancer by 200-400% over 8-10 years," Kumar stressed. It can also lead to miscarriages as it affects the amniotic fluids, he added.
Citing examples of farmhouses, Kumar also observed that mobile tower radiation was affecting the environment and fruit-bearing trees as well as birds.
Explaining further, Kumar said the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in India has been fixed at a much higher level than it should be to benefit telecom operators who contribute 30% of India's GDP. He felt part of the solution lay in reducing the transmitted power from towers which would necessitate setting up of additional towers at a much higher cost.
Industry representative Pradeep Phadke, CEO of Phadnis Telecom, attempted to dispel fears by stating that the cellular industry would like to believe that claims made by scientists were unfounded or pose insignificant risk.
Phadke felt a trade-off was required between the benefits and ill effects of mobiles. Namrata Redkar, an aura (human energy) researcher, said, "Waves or radiations destroy vital enzymes that catalyze the electrical system which activates our nervous system."
Read more: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-07/goa/30601419_1
Times of India, Goa, 7 Jan 2012
Panaji: "The 4.5 lakh mobile towers in India are turning the country into an open microwave," warns Girish Kumar, researcher and faculty at IIT Bombay.
Elaborating, Kumar who has conducted studies on mobile radiation said, "With 1w power (same output as cell phones) temperatures increase by 1'C in 500 seconds (9 minutes)."
Kumar was speaking at the national seminar on 'mobile phone and tower radiations-risks and remedies' at Ghall, Panaji, by Government Polytechnic Bicholim, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( GCCI) and the department of science, technology and environment ( DTSE).
He noted that mobile companies were choosing to install higher intensity towers to cut costs but were compromising on public safety. Citing a case study where six residents of a high-rise Mumbai building facing a mobile tower were affected by cancer, he went on to explain the link of rise in cancer cases among residents living near cell towers.
"Those living in a 50-300m radius face a high risk-much worse than smoking as you cannot see or smell radiation," he said, while adding that "you cannot have coincidences everywhere".
"Biological effects include drying of fluids around the eyes, brain joints, heart and abdomen leading to sleep disruption, headaches, lack of concentration and memory loss, due to changes in the electrical activity of the brain. Prolonged exposure to mobile radiation increases chances of cancer by 200-400% over 8-10 years," Kumar stressed. It can also lead to miscarriages as it affects the amniotic fluids, he added.
Citing examples of farmhouses, Kumar also observed that mobile tower radiation was affecting the environment and fruit-bearing trees as well as birds.
Explaining further, Kumar said the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in India has been fixed at a much higher level than it should be to benefit telecom operators who contribute 30% of India's GDP. He felt part of the solution lay in reducing the transmitted power from towers which would necessitate setting up of additional towers at a much higher cost.
Industry representative Pradeep Phadke, CEO of Phadnis Telecom, attempted to dispel fears by stating that the cellular industry would like to believe that claims made by scientists were unfounded or pose insignificant risk.
Phadke felt a trade-off was required between the benefits and ill effects of mobiles. Namrata Redkar, an aura (human energy) researcher, said, "Waves or radiations destroy vital enzymes that catalyze the electrical system which activates our nervous system."
Read more: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-07/goa/30601419_1
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About Me
- Neha Kumar
- After completing B.Tech in Industrial Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai in 2009, I have been working in "Wilcom Technologies Pvt. Ltd" which is an IIT Bombay incubated company having more than 100 products. I have been studying the biological effects of cell tower radiation for about three years and have interacted with several experts, researchers, doctors and patients around the world who have been affected with prolonged exposure to mobile tower/phone radiation. I have recently started my own firm, NESA (which stands for Non- Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation Shielding Alternatives), which is into retail and service of Radiation Measurement and Shielding products. We have products such as DETEX 189 (Cell Tower Radiation Detector), Radiation Shield, Window Shielding Films, Curtains, Wall Paper etc.
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