SHILLONG, July 17 - Meghalaya High Court has ordered a survey by the State Health department to assess the possible adverse health effects on people living in close vicinity of mobile towers.
The Court further directed Secretary, Telecommunication to file a personal affidavit underlining the radiation emission limit from mobile towers and the kind of equipments being used to read such emissions.
The order was passed by a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice TNK Singh on Wednesday.
The Court passed the order following a writ petition filed by one SP Das against some telecom operators for violation of norms in respect of their mobile towers.
Some telecom operators made party in the case include Reliance Telecommunications Ltd., Bharat Hexacom Ltd., Dishnet Communications Ltd. (Aircel), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., Idea Cellular Ltd., and Vodafone Dislink Ltd.
The Court also termed the report submitted by Kulwinder Kumar, Director, Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring, NE -1 Circle, on emission limit of radiation and equipments used to measure the radiation as �evasive.�
�We do not find any information as to the limit of emission of radiation by the mobile towers and the equipments being used for measuring the radiation. The inspection reports of the Officer thus appear to be evasive,� the Court said while passing the order.
Meanwhile, Telecom companies in the State have been crying hoarse of their inability to erect mobile towers due to apprehensions about radiations. This, they claim, is the reason for poor network and call drops.
The next date of hearing of the case has been fixed on July 29.
