South body to seal illegal mobile towers next week

Cracking the whip on mobile phone towers, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will start sealing all such illegal structures set up on school buildings and hospitals from next week.

Cracking the whip on mobile phone towers, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will start sealing all such illegal structures set up on school buildings and hospitals from next week.

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The corporation has sent show-cause notices to 177 illegal mobile towers set up by various cell phone operators on school and hospital buildings under its jurisdiction.

There are 1,543 illegal mobile phone towers in areas under the south corporation but the drive will initially focus on

schools and hospitals, officials said.

"We have decided to start the sealing drive from next week and our focus will be on illegal cell phone towers set up on school buildings and hospitals. We have issued show cause notices in all the zones that come under our jurisdiction," said a spokesperson of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The action comes in view of the potential health hazards of such towers with residents and activists claiming radiation emanating from them can cause cancer. Cell phone towers also damage or weaken the buildings on which they are installed.

The official said the rest of the illegal towers will targeted in phases. "We don't want to create panic, which is why we have chosen school and buildings first. Action will be taken on others too," added the official.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi too had issued show cause notices to 677 cell phone towers recently. There are 1,900 cell phone towers in central and north Delhi. Of these, only 1232 have permission.

Sources said the north corporation is expected to start the sealing drive next week. It will also conduct a fresh survey to find out the exact number of illegal cell phone towers.

The east corporation also plans to follow suit.