New norms for mobile towers, in which the Electromagnetic Frequency exposure limit from Base Station Emission is lowered to one-tenth of the existing level, became effective from Saturday.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has also ensured that the new radiation standards get implemented through close co-ordination with the telecom industry. The DoT has promised to provide the best possible telecom services across the country without compromising on public safety and human health.
It has also said that on non-compliance of EMF standards, a penalty of Rs 5 lakh will be liable to be levied per base transceiver station per service provider.
India has also adopted the most stringent norms for mobile handsets. All new handsets shall comply with the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values of 1.6 watt/ kg averaged over 1 gram of human tissue from Saturday.
Mobile handsets with existing designs which are compliant with 2 watt/ kg averaged over 10 gram of human tissue will continue to co-exist up to August 31, 2013.
From September next year, only mobile handsets with revised SAR values of 1.6 watt/ kg will be permitted to be manufactured or imported into the country.
ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in
Keywords: Department of Telecom, New norms for mobile towers, Electromagnetic Frequency exposure limit, mobile tower radiation, Mobile handsets
Comments:
Compliance & enforcement are a big problem in our country.It would have been better if a helpline was created to receive & look into complaints. Specific values of permissible radiation norms (before & now) should be widely circulated.
Today huge mobile towers in thickly populated residential areas & on rooftops is a common sight. Their operation & maintenance is mostly done by semi or unskilled labour, who care only about the signal strength. Self certification by phone companies & verification in only 5% of the cases will defeat the very spirit of this measure.
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