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A view of the cell phone tower.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Nov. 6 The Department of Telecom has asked mobile operators to give self certification on the amount of radiation emitted from various cellular base stations across the country as per international radiation norms.

Though there are no concrete evidence of any direct link between cellular radiation and cancer, most countries are adopting these standards as a precaution.

DoT has asked the operators to monitor the emission levels as prescribed by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) which lays down the basic restrictions and reference levels for limiting exposure to electromagnetic radiations from mobile base stations and handsets.

The decision to allow the operators to self regulate is in line with the demands of the various industry bodies. DoT was earlier considering to set up a Conformity Assessment Body to carry out the measurement on a random basis on behalf of the Government. This was, however, opposed by cellular operators. There are over 3 lakh mobile towers in the country, which is known to emit electromagnetic radiation.

Cellular operators maintain that the level of radiation at any tower is under permissible levels and the assessment body would have only resulted in delays and increased costs.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Regulatory Bodies & Rulings | Health

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