SC refuses to interfere with HC order for mobile tower removal

The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with a Rajasthan high court order to the state government to remove mobile phone towers, suspected to be potential health hazards due to radiation from them, from near the schools, hospitals and densely populated localities.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with a Rajasthan high court order to the state government to remove mobile phone towers, suspected to be potential health hazards due to radiation from them, from near the schools, hospitals and densely populated localities.

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"For the time being remove those towers from private and government schools. The order which benefits (the school children)... we will not interfere with it," said a bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad.

It said such mobile towers have to be removed for the time being and perhaps the Centre too was looking into the matter since 2010 and a final decision has to be taken.

Appearing for the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said there was no evidence to show harmful effects on human being because of radiation from mobile phone towers.

He added there was no scientific report till date to show that radiation from tower is harmful to human beings.

When the bench wanted to know the stand of the Rajasthan government, he said the government did not file any affidavit even when the matter was in the high court.

He said if the radiation from towers was causing health hazards for people in Jaipur, the same should be for the entire country.

Realising that the bench was not inclined to entertain the COAI's appeal, Rohatgi preferred to withdraw the petition.

The high court had passed the order on a PIL after going through the report of a committee which had reportedly recommended removal of the towers from the above mentioned areas.