DoT initiates action against telecom operators violating radiation norms

The Department of Telecommunications has pulled up telecom service providers Reliance Communications, TTML, Airtel, Vodaphone, Idea Cellular, Aircel and Loop Telecom for violation of radiation norms for telecom towers and has ordered immediate compliance with the new norms.

Officials from DoT and the Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring (TERM) cell unit in Mumbai on Wednesday visited a few base transmitting stations (BTS) sites in Mumbai as part of random verification of compliance to the new electro-magnetic field (EMF) standards by telecom service providers (TSP).

One of the sites located adjacent to Ekta CHS, Kanjur Marg (East) covering Saidham Building and Vighnaharta Building having 11 BTSs of Reliance Communications, TTML, Airtel, Vodaphone, Idea Cellular, Aircel and Loop Telecom were found radiating beyond permissible limits of the new radiation norms when measurements were carried out in some houses facing nearby BTS antenna, an official release said today.

DoT officials called a meeting of all the 11 licensed operators in Mumbai at short notice, which was attended by 32 officials from the 11 operators. Pictures of the BTS antennas and other details were also shown to the operators and on the spot orders were issued to seven operators to stop radiating from these BTSs with immediate effect, the release said.

Functioning of BTSs will be resumed only after the sites are made compliant and compliance to that effect is verified by TERM cell Mumbai.

All the TSPs were further directed to carry out a comprehensive exercise to identify all BTSs, which are non-compliant as per latest radiation norms and ensure that they are either shut down or made compliant with respect to the radiation norms failing which penal action as per relevant provisions would be taken against delinquent operators.

DoT is taking steps to strictly enforce the latest radiation standards in respect of electro magnetic radiations (EMR) for mobile towers that have came into effect from 1 September 2012, it added.