Telecom Lead India: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is set to take action against mobile operators such as Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices Maharashtra, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Aircel and Loop Telecom for violating new radiation norms.
Interestingly, the state-run MTNL is not part of the list.
DoT said it has taken steps to enforce latest radiation standards in respect of Electro Magnetic Radiations (EMR) for mobile towers that came into effect from 1st September 2012.
On Thursday, DoT officials found that several operators are violating EMR guidelines in Mumbai. DoT will be taking action against these mobile operators.
All mobile operators will be forced to carry out a comprehensive exercise to identify all BTSs which are non-compliant as per latest radiation norms. Telecom operators will be asked to 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 officers led by Advisor (Technology), DoT and officials from Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cell Unit in Mumbai 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 the telecom service providers.
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.
DOT officials organized a meeting with all the 11 licensed telecom operators in Mumbai. Pictures of the BTS antennas and other details were also shown to the operators and on the spot orders were issued to 7 operators to stop radiating from these BTSs with immediate effect. Functioning of BTSs may be resumed only after the sites are made compliant and compliance to that effect is verified by TERM Cell Mumbai.
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