INDIA - Cut Cellphone Tower Radiation by 90%: Gov to Mobile Operators

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Cut Cellphone Tower Radiation by 90%: Gov to Mobile Operators

Submitted by Prashant Duggal on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 22:19

http://rtn.asia/1242_cut-cellphone-tower-radiation-90-gov-mobile-operators

Indian government has extended by five months the deadline for cutting radiation

from cellphone towers by 90%, the government informed the Lok Sabha today.

The directive cutting radiation limits for cellphone towers was issued after a

multi-year consultation between the government, the industry, scientific bodies

and consumer associations.

The directive was supposed to come into effect in April this year. But this has

now been extended to September 1, minister of state for communication and IT

Milind Deora said.

He said the step was taken after the government got *representations* from

cellular operators and their associations.

**Representations were received from Cellular Operator Association of India

(COAI) expressing concerns on lowering of EMF radiation norms,** he said.

Electromagnetic radiation or EMR is a method of sending energy through the

atmosphere using an antenna (such as those on the cellphone towers.)

When a current is passed through the antenna, it emits *pulses* of energy, which

travel through the air to great distances.

Higher energy EMR, such as gamma and beta rays, tend to behave more like

particles -- traveling in straight lines etc.. Lower energy radiation, such as

the Microwaves used by the cellphone industry, travel more like waves in water,

moving in an enveloping or spreading motion.

As a result, microwave radiation from cellphone towers is able to reach inside

homes and vehicles and penetrate light objects.

While higher energy (higher frequency) radiation is known to cause cancer, no

one is quite sure where to draw the line.

It is assumed that microwaves do not **ionize** or knock electrons off molecules

and are therefore safe for humans. However, it is also proven than microwaves

can heat up matter (like a microwave oven and some phones do.)

Some scientists believe that if the exposure is continuous, long and of high

intensity, the energy from the cellphone radiation gets transferred to human

tissue. The transferred energy then increases the **energy levels** of human

tissue and molecules and can cause burns. Some, however, believe it can also

cause genetic mutation.

Genetic mutation can result in improper or disorderly multiplication of cells --

a condition known as cancer.

As such, regulatory agencies around the world have set limits on how much

radiation can be emitted by devices such as cellphones and towers.

The problem is more acute in India as many cellphone companies have put up

towers on top of residential properties, such as apartment complexes, or on top

of shopping centres or office complexes -- exposing those living nearby to

radiation day in and day out.

In addition, some Indian operators have tried to cut costs by having one tower

cover as big an area as possible. To do this, they prefer to use high-power

antenna.

As part of its consultation, government of India appointed an expert committee,

which did not find any conclusive evidence that cellphone radiation caused

cancer. However, it urged caution on the matter.

However mobile operators opposed tightening tower-related norms.

As the matter was considered too serious and complicated to be handled by either

the department of telecom or the ministry of health alone, it was left to an

Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the subject.

Deora said the Inter Minister Committee recommended to reduce the maximum power

of cellphone towers by 90%.

**Telecom service providers raised concerns regarding the increase in the

exclusion zone due to lowering of emission norms and impact on the area coverage

of the BTS [cellphone tower].

**Accordingly, for examination of the impact on area coverage and exclusion

zone, the effective date of these directions, which was initially 1st April

2012, has been extended to 1.09.2012,** Deora said

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Also about India and Cell Towers................................

India - Radiation from Mobile Phone Towers

Further, based on the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on

radiation, norms for exposure limit for the Radio Frequency Field (Base Station

Emissions) has been reduced to 1/10th of the existing limits prescribed by

ICNIRP. Effective date of these directions, which was initially 1st April 2012,

has been extended to 01.09.2012.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=83130