Question : ILLEGAL MOBILE TOWERS

(a) the details of the regulations issued by the Government for installation of Base Transmitting Station (BTS) and radiation emission norms for BTS and mobile handsets;

(b) the number of tower companies which have not complied with these regulations and the action taken by the Government against them; company-wise;

(c) whether the Government has prepared a list of illegal BTSs and issued direction to the mobile companies to remove/shift these towers from public places such as schools, hospitals, etc.;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the number of such towers removed/shifted so far, State-wise including Delhi; and

(e) whether the High Court of Delhi has also issued any direction on radiation emission norms and installation of BTS, and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 177 FOR 5THDECEMBER, 2012 REGARDING “ILLEGAL MOBILE TOWERS”

(a) As per existing policy for installation of Base Transmitting Station (BTS), Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issues siting clearance for installation of mobile towers for each and every site from the point of view of interference with other wireless users, aviation hazards and obstruction to any other existing microwave links. The siting clearance is issued without prejudice to applicable bylaws, rules and regulation of local bodies such as State Government/Municipal Corporation/ Gram Panchayat etc. Accordingly, before installation of tower, the telecom service provider has to obtain the necessary permission from the respective local bodies such as Municipal Corporation/ Gram Panchayat etc.

In respect of BTS, norms for exposure limit for the Radio Frequency Field (Base Station Emissions) has been reduced to 1/10th of the existing limits prescribed by International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) with effect from 01.09.2012. Self certification regarding compliance of radiation norms is submitted by the Telecom Service Providers to respective Telecom Enforcement Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cells of DOT. All new BTS sites start radiating only after self certificate is submitted to relevant TERM Cells. The TERM Cell tests up to 10% of BTS sites randomly at its discretion. Additionally, the BTS sites against which there are public complaints are also being tested by TERM Cell. If a site fails to meet the prescribed radiation criterion, there is a provision of levying a penalty of Rs. 5 lakh per BTS per service provider. Service providers must meet the criterion within one month of the report of TERM cell in such cases, after which the site will be shut down.

In respect of Mobile Handsets, the following directions have been issued regarding Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values:

(i) SAR level for mobile handsets is limited to 1.6 Watt/Kg, average over a mass of 1 gram of human tissue.

(ii) All the new design of mobile handsets shall comply with the SAR value of 1.6 Watt/Kg averaged over a mass of 1 gram tissue with effect from 1st September, 2012.

(iii) However, the mobile handsets with existing designs, which are compliant with 2.0 Watt/Kg averaged over a mass of 10 gram tissue, may continue to co-exist upto 31st August 2013.

(iv) From 1st September 2013, only the mobile handsets with revised SAR value of 1.6 Watt/Kg are permitted to be manufactured or imported in India for domestic market.

(b) The TERM Cells carry out the random tests of BTSs to check the compliance to the radiation norms. Till 30.11.2012, a total 83 number of BTSs of various operators have been found to be non-compliant to the prescribed radiation norms. Notices have been issued to the concerned telecom service providers. The company-wise details are given in Annexure-I.

(c) & (d) As such, there is no bar for installation of mobile towers near the residential areas, schools and hospitals, however, the Telecom Service Providers are required to conform to the prescribed Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF) radiation norms. Moreover, various State Governments have formulated their own guidelines for grant of permission for installation of mobile towers. Some of the State Governments have specific restrictions and prohibitions on installation of mobile towers. These guidelines are implemented and monitored by the State Governments/local bodies.

(e) No such directions have been received in DoT from High Court of Delhi.