Telecom industry body COAI has welcomed the decision of the Delhi High Court to dismiss multiple petitions against mobile towers.
In two separate verdicts, the Courts upheld the EMF safety norms implemented by the Government of India.
COAI says India’s EMF guidelines are based on scientific studies approved by bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and health agencies of many countries, including the UK and Sweden.
In May, the Court heard a petition filed against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to remove towers from a locality in the Lakshmi Nagar area that were allegedly radiating waves in large quantity and causing blood pressure, prostate cancer and other heart problems.
After listening to both sides, the Court held that there is no scientific data to show that installation of mobile phone towers and the emission of the waves by them is in any way harmful to the health of citizens.
Justice AK Pathak said that the petitioner has not been able to produce any data whatsoever showing any such harmful effects on the health of human beings.
In April, Chief Justice Jayant Nath threw out a petition against the installation of a mobile tower in Delhi’s Tekhand village, saying that based on empirical evidence, “there is no scientific data available to show that installation of mobile phone towers and the emission of the waves by the said towers is in any way harmful for the health or hazardous to the health of citizens”.
Both judges referred to past rulings by various Indian Courts, including the findings of the Expert Committee appointed under the orders of the Allahabad High Court to look into concerns of harmful radiation from low electromagnetic frequency (EMF) from mobile towers.
The Committee, comprising scientists and doctors, found that objections are “misrepresentation of actual position and shall create only confusion, misperception and unfounded fear in the minds of general public, which should be avoided.”
The verdicts are in line with verdicts delivered by the Kerala High Court, Madras High Court, Delhi High Court, Himachal Pradesh High Court, Gujarat High Court and Allahabad High Court.
On April 12, the Allahabad High Court in a judgment, rejected all apprehensions arising from mobile tower radiation.
“India’s prescribed limits for radiation are much lower than most of the countries in the world. Therefore, there is no need to further reduce the limits without conclusive studies by International standards bodies and India’s own conclusive research and findings,” said the Allahabad High Court.
