<p>Radiation emanating from crowded mobile towers is not much talked about, but it might be affecting the health of people living in the immediate vicinity of these towers.<br /><br />It is now common to see mobile towers installed on top of residential buildings and commercial complexes. What some people are now slowly complaining about is the number of antennae that are being placed on each of the mobile towers, which are emitting high levels of radiation.<br /><br />Each mobile tower has an antenna that receives and transmits electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic field is radiated during the reception and transmission that can cause health hazards to the surrounding population. Part of the problem lies in the absence of any legislation in India specifying the number of antennae or power that can be released, says Ashok R, a resident of Rajajinagar 1st block. <br /><br />Ashok and other residents of the area were dragged to court by a tower installation company for objecting to a tower being installed in a locality near to schools and hospitals. <br /><br />Eventually the company withdrew its petition, but not before the residents pointed out the absence of any birds in the immediate vicinity of the tower and people complaining about feeling fatigued all the time.<br /><br />“In most countries, a tower emanating upto 200 milli watt per square metre radiation is alright, but here the levels go as high as 4,000 milli watts per square metre. This is obviously a health hazard,” he says.<br /><br />He likens the situation to a car on a highway with four headlights. “Two is what you are used to, but when there are four they can blind you completely,” he explains.<br /><br />The issue is of larger importance with telecom companies looking to improve signal strength in all areas and cutting costs while doing so. One of the best way to do this, is by sharing towers. So at any given time, most towers will have at least four operators sending out strong signals, so they do not lose out on customers. This means that more antennae are required on a tower and hence more radiation. “It is difficult to even measure the amount of radiation coming out of the towers. Some of the metres that they install can be easily be tampered with,” Ashok alleges.<br /><br />Another resident Rajesh, with experience in mobile transmission technology, says the competition between telecom companies have turned people into guinea pigs. “There is no clear picture about the cumulative effect of hosting so many operators on a single tower and having them at such close quarters to residential areas. It might be a good idea to clear up some 300 metres around the area of the tower installation.”<br /><br />But who can be held responsible for this is unclear. Telecom companies have now formed teleservices companies to look after such matters. It has reached a point where companies first install these towers and then solicit telecom companies to set up their equipment on it.<br /><br />There is no dearth of people willing to have them installed on their premises, whether residential or commercial as the monthly rent paid is attractive. These teleservices companies insist that the licence received by their parent companies are valid for them and they need not have a separate license.</p>
<p>Radiation emanating from crowded mobile towers is not much talked about, but it might be affecting the health of people living in the immediate vicinity of these towers.<br /><br />It is now common to see mobile towers installed on top of residential buildings and commercial complexes. What some people are now slowly complaining about is the number of antennae that are being placed on each of the mobile towers, which are emitting high levels of radiation.<br /><br />Each mobile tower has an antenna that receives and transmits electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic field is radiated during the reception and transmission that can cause health hazards to the surrounding population. Part of the problem lies in the absence of any legislation in India specifying the number of antennae or power that can be released, says Ashok R, a resident of Rajajinagar 1st block. <br /><br />Ashok and other residents of the area were dragged to court by a tower installation company for objecting to a tower being installed in a locality near to schools and hospitals. <br /><br />Eventually the company withdrew its petition, but not before the residents pointed out the absence of any birds in the immediate vicinity of the tower and people complaining about feeling fatigued all the time.<br /><br />“In most countries, a tower emanating upto 200 milli watt per square metre radiation is alright, but here the levels go as high as 4,000 milli watts per square metre. This is obviously a health hazard,” he says.<br /><br />He likens the situation to a car on a highway with four headlights. “Two is what you are used to, but when there are four they can blind you completely,” he explains.<br /><br />The issue is of larger importance with telecom companies looking to improve signal strength in all areas and cutting costs while doing so. One of the best way to do this, is by sharing towers. So at any given time, most towers will have at least four operators sending out strong signals, so they do not lose out on customers. This means that more antennae are required on a tower and hence more radiation. “It is difficult to even measure the amount of radiation coming out of the towers. Some of the metres that they install can be easily be tampered with,” Ashok alleges.<br /><br />Another resident Rajesh, with experience in mobile transmission technology, says the competition between telecom companies have turned people into guinea pigs. “There is no clear picture about the cumulative effect of hosting so many operators on a single tower and having them at such close quarters to residential areas. It might be a good idea to clear up some 300 metres around the area of the tower installation.”<br /><br />But who can be held responsible for this is unclear. Telecom companies have now formed teleservices companies to look after such matters. It has reached a point where companies first install these towers and then solicit telecom companies to set up their equipment on it.<br /><br />There is no dearth of people willing to have them installed on their premises, whether residential or commercial as the monthly rent paid is attractive. These teleservices companies insist that the licence received by their parent companies are valid for them and they need not have a separate license.</p>
