Green Tribunal asks Centre not to allow new mobile towers sans permissions

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Central government not to allow installation of new mobile towers without meeting the mandatory provisions of the law.

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Central government not to allow installation of new mobile towers without meeting the mandatory provisions of the law.

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The tribunal also issued notices to the Centre and seven mobile companies on the complaint filed by a Delhi resident Arvind Gupta alleging that the companies were installing mobile towers without meeting the mandatory provisions of law.

“Considering the gravity of the allegations levelled, and the health hazard likely to be caused, we direct that no construction of cell-phone communication towers shall be made without following the mandatory provisions of law and without obtaining necessary permission from the competent authority," a bench of tribunal’s acting chairperson Justice AS Naidu and expert member PC Mishra said.

The tribunal has sought the response of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of Communications & IT, Ministry of Health, Securities and Exchange Board of India and telecom firms -- Bharti Infratel Ltd, Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, Tata, Reliance and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, by the next date of hearing - December 20.