4G towers in various parks give city residents jitters - Hindustan Times
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4G towers in various parks give city residents jitters

Hindustan Times | By, Ludhiana
Jan 25, 2015 08:57 PM IST

Installation of 4G towers for Internet service in various parks of the city has the residents of these areas fuming. The residents claimed that they were aware of the effects of radiation from these towers and had complained to the municipal corporation (MC) to take action in this regard.

Installation of 4G towers for Internet service in various parks of the city has the residents of these areas fuming. The residents claimed that they were aware of the effects of radiation from these towers and had complained to the municipal corporation (MC) to take action in this regard.

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HT Image

The MC had on Saturday stopped the installation of a 4G tower at a park near Kailash Chowk, said assistant town planner (ATP), zone D, Monika Anand. However, similar towers can be seen at prominent parks, including Rakh Bagh and Tikkona Park.

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Opposing the installation of the 4G towers in the city parks, BJP councillor Inder Agarwal has demanded a probe whether any permission was given to install towers in the parks. He claimed that the parks were for public use and towers should not be installed there. “Children and senior citizens come to parks to enjoy nature. The towers pose a threat to life of the birds,” he said.

Arvind Sharma, a city resident and an RTI activist, said, “The towers are not allowed in the residential areas and the parks come under it as they are also public places. We are scared of adverse health effects due to the mobile towers. The government should look into the matter as we are opposing the towers' installation. Similar towers have been installed at a park in Model Town too.”

Oncologist and hematologist Dr Devinder Singh Sandhu said, “The studies are going on to know the effects of the radio waves by the mobile towers. I can't comment about the ill effects of the towers. The children and senior citizens spend time in parks. I suggest that such towers should be outside the parks and residential areas as a precautionary measure.”
Col JS Brar (retd), a senior citizen, said, “I strongly oppose if the civic body has granted any permission for installation of such towers in parks. Earlier too, the civic body had failed to remove such towers from the residential areas. It has also failed to free the encroached lands that can be used for such purposes.”

“We have permission to install these towers and are installing them in a valid way,” said an official, on the condition of anonymity, from the private telecom firm that installed the towers.
The company would install towers at 102 places in the city, said sources. However, the ATP said, “I have not given any permission. However, I will look into the matter. We have stopped installation work of a tower at a park on Saturday.”

Executive engineer of horticulture wing of the MC Surinder Sharma said, “The tower in Rakh Bagh was installed around four months back. I had objected, but the private firm had shown permission documents. The permission was given by the House as they claimed. The towers are being installed at the other parks too.”

Mayor Harchran Singh Gohalwaria, who is head of the MC House, said, “The installation of towers in parks is not in my knowledge. I will probe the matter as the permission is granted by the department concerned.”

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