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Are mobile towers safe?

Aamir Ali

Fri, May 23, 2008 16:29:23 IST

THERE IS a widespread apprehension among people that some mobile operators have constructed the towers
on top of structurally weak buildings in the city and any physical damage caused to the buildings by these
towers may put the lives of the people living in and around such installations at grave risk.

There is also a serious concern that since we are living in Seismic Zone-V, these towers could cause
devastating damage, in case an earthquake, if not designed properly. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and
appropriately regulate the erection of mobile phone towers on top of buildings.

Structural safety of the buildings has to be accorded top priority before giving permission for the construction
of mobile towers. The agencies empowered to give building permissions should not allow erection of mobile
towers on buildings, which have been constructed without valid permission. These measures will also put an
end to the alleged unregulated erection of hoardings and other outdoor displays on top of the buildings in the
city.

Mobile phone towers should also be subject to the enforcement of building laws along with the unauthorised
buildings. A structural engineer should inspect and sign the site plan and drawings of the mobile phone
towers, certifying that necessary safety measures have been taken and that the structure is safe and
earthquake resistant.

There are, so far, no restrictions on the locations of towers. A city like Srinagar requires numerous towers, as
telephone operators need large number of towers for better coverage and transmission. At the same time,
number of towers needs to be kept at minimum in the interest of proper urban planning, public health and
safety.

Base stations are usually tall structures servicing large areas (cells). In recent times, there has been a trend
towards smaller antennas servicing smaller cells. The aerials are normally erected on tall buildings to cover the
widest area possible. Operators need to replace old model towers with single pole towers. There are four
telecom operators in the city: BSNL, Airtel, Aircel and Reliance. Three or more firms should share each tower,
and no individual firm should be allowed to set up a separate tower for itself.

It is difficult to confine the construction of mobile towers to non-residential areas, as the distance between
two towers is determined by factors such as transmission frequency, density of consumers and the desired
sound quality, among others. However, telecommunication towers atop buildings in residential areas may
need to be relocated, where they are considered to be a hazard. There are fears that the people living in and
around such installations are susceptible to health hazards.

Electromagnetic radiations emitted from the towers are debated all over the world. However, there is no
conclusive study stating that radiation emitted by mobile phones affects health adversely. Medical research
material is available on health-related effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted from antennae on
telecommunication towers, yet no conclusive evidence of hazards to human health has been established for
possible exposure levels from the cellular towers.

Modified currents and voltage generate oscillation of the electrical and magnetic field, which propagates in
space. The electric and magnetic components oscillate at right angels to each other, these waves are termed
as Electro Magnetic Radiations (EMRs). Mobile phone towers emit electro magnetic rays with a frequency of
1900 MHz. With this high frequency, they can easily pass through our bodies and concrete walls. Our immune
system can be harmfully affected when these EMR rays pass through our body. Mobile phone towers’
radioactivity can thus affect every living thing in one square kilometer range.

Density ranges of this radioactivity are 17,100 - 72,000 micro watt per square metre. Mobile towers, installed
on top of buildings can penetrate radio activity among those who live in the same buildings. Electromagnetic
field of these towers attract Radon gas from atmosphere. EMR can cause memory loss, headache, allergy and
skin diseases mostly affecting those who live nearby. Sperm-count in men is known to reduce with daily use
of cell phone.

The mobile phone operators however, argue that Radio Frequency (RF) emissions from antennas used for
wireless transmissions such as cellular and Personal Communication Systems (PCS) signals are within safe
limits. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to

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nearby residents. They claim that the roof of the building absorbs large amounts of the RF energy.

Cell phones communicate with nearby base stations even when these are not being used for a call. This is
necessary to tell the system where the user is, in case a call should come in. Thus, even while they are
inactive, the phones are a source of RF energy exposure to the user. Hands-free kits reduce exposure to a user
by removing the phone from the vicinity of the head. There is no identifiable health benefit in using the kits,
but there is no detriment either and using them may increase a user’s peace of mind.

There is not much that you can do if there is already a phone tower on the roof of your own or a nearby
building, except getting the building assessed by a structural engineer, for its safety and in case it is found
that the building is not capable of taking the load and stresses of the telecommunication towers, these should
be relocated immediately, to safe guard the lives of people. Before the installation of a mobile tower aerial on
your roof top, make sure that the required safety measures have been taken.

Ensure that the building has had a proper structural survey done by a qualified structural engineer, to see if it
is capable of taking the weight of the aerial. The calculations should include effect of earthquake and wind
resistance on the aerial to make sure that it will be able to stand up to severe winds.

There remains a lack of consensus among the experts about whether and at what levels electric magnetic
fields and electromagnetic radiation can affect humans. The reality is also that there is a high level of concern
regarding possible effects. The best approach to adopt, therefore, is a precautionary one. Should health be
put at potential risk by waiting for proof of harm beyond all reasonable doubts before preventative action is
taken; or should the action be taken as a precaution before any conclusive evidence is found to prevent any
potential harm?

It is possible that EMFs and EMR at the current levels are harmless, but it may not be the case. The question
is whether we wait for overwhelmingly convincing proof, by which time many people may have been harmed
or whether we take precautionary preventative steps now. At the rate that demand for mobile phones is
increasing, there will soon be more mobile phone towers standing than trees.

Without waiting for a single day, the municipal authorities need to immediately assess the safety of all
buildings where mobile towers have been erected and ensure that in future no permission is given unless the
building is certified to be structurally safe and is capable of taking the load of the tower and bear all effects of
earthquake and severe winds. On our part, we should prefer landline phones over cell phones and wherever we
use cell phones, we should use a proper head-set.

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