Of 81 notices sent to cell towers, 61 from city

Of the 81 notices sent to mobile phone tower operators across India for exceeding the revised permitted radiation levels by the Union department of telecommunication (DoT), 61 are from the city.

Of the 81 notices sent to mobile phone tower operators across India for exceeding the revised permitted radiation levels by the Union department of telecommunication (DoT), 61 are from the city.

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On September 1, the DoT reduced the prescribed radiation limit to 450 milliwatts/ square metre from 4,500 milliwatts/ square metre. “In Mum-bai, the notices were sent betw-een October 4 and December 4, based on the reports received through the complaint-handling system,” said a senior DoT official, requesting anonymity.

Operators who fail to comply will first get notices. The next step will be to cancel their licence and slap a fine of Rs. 5 lakh.

Rajan Mathews, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India, said: “We have ensured that all operators strictly adhere to the prescribed norm.”

While the DoT monitors radiation levels, the civic body grants permission for the installation of mobile phone towers. There are more than 1,800 illegal towers in the city.