Bldgs can have only 2 cellphone towers: BMC

Mumbai: The BMC will not allow more than two cellphone towers to be installed on rooftops. 

    Currently, the civic body is finalizing a new policy after the Union department of telecommunication (DoT) issued guidelines on installation of the towers. While formulating the policy, the public concern over thehealth hazards will also be kept in mind. 
    Mumbai's cellphone usage is high and various service providers are vying to grab a major share in the market and want to instal towers on buildings to provide better connectivity. 
    The civic body also plans to have a special counsel to fight the case in the high court and to vacate the stay on taking any action on the illegal towers. 
    "Although we don't have our own machinery to check radiation levels, a new policy will soon be drafted to check the number of towers in Mumbai. We will not allow more than two towers on the top of a building." 
    The issue was raised by BJP corporator Vinod Shelar who said Mumbaikars were facing grave danger due to rising cellphone tower radiation astheBMChad not prepared any guidelines. 
    "At certain places, five to six towers have been set up on terraces," Shelar said. 
    "An increase in cellphone towers has seen rise in diseases like cancer, brain tumour, high blood pressure and heart ailments. The proportion of birds has also reduced considerably in Mumbai," he added. 
    Several mobile companies are violating the proposed transmission levels of 600 microwatt proposed by the International Commission of Non-Iodised Radiation, claimed Shelar. 
    According to BMC officials, the onus is on the DoT's term cell to scrutinize the radiation levels. "In some cases wherethe radiation levels are high, BMC officials can register cases on the DoT helpline," Gupta added 
HEADING FOR TROUBLE 
    According to the BMC, there are 3,489 cellphone towers in Mumbai. Of these 1,628 (47%) are illegal 
    Over 500 towers have been installed without the civic body's nod in Bandra, Santa Cruz , Vile Parle, Andheri and Jogeshwari. K-East ward (eastern side of Vile Parle, Andheri and Jogeshwari) has 261 illegal towers 
    D ward (Malabar Hill, Nana Chowk) has 138 unauthorized ones 
    Mumbai's cellphone usage is high and various service providers are vying to grab a major share in the market and want to instal towers on buildings to provide better connectivity 
    Mobile companies violated the proposed transmission levels of 600 microwatt proposed by the International Commission of Non-Iodised Radiation, claimed a corporator