PM sets up panel on cellphone radiation

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants the department of science and technology to work out a new set of guidelines to minimise the adverse impact of radiations from cellphone towers on citizens.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants the department of science and technology to work out a new set of guidelines to minimise the adverse impact of radiations from cellphone towers on citizens.

HT Image

He has also instructed the department to constitute a panel of experts to ensure the guidelines follow the latest international norms.

The move comes after minister of state for science and technology, Ashwini Kumar, asked the PM to act on the telecom department's "indifference" to the danger of exposure to radiation from around half a million cellphone towers in India.

HT, in its July 15 edition, reported how radiation from cellphone towers was carcinogenic. According to experts, getting exposed to a cellphone tower within 50 metres is like being in a microwave oven for 24 hours.

The telecom department and cell phone operators claim there is not enough scientific proof to prove that "exposure to radiation" from cell phone towers can adversely impact human health.

"There is no scientific study to prove that anyone has got any health problem due to telecom towers in India," said R Chandrasekhar, secretary, department of telecommunications (DoT).

Last month, the PM asked department of science and technology chief T Ramasami to ensure the new norms are strictly enforced.

Kumar told to HT that the PM has instructed the department to act fast.

An expert committee constituted by the PM admitted that telecom department's guidelines on cell phone towers allowed higher emission of radiation than the World Health Organisation (WHO) norms.

"The PM wants the new scientifically proven norms to be enforced in letter and spirit across India," a committee member said.