Earlier, towers were located on vacant plots. But now towers are being erected on top of buildings too. Mattanchery is one such place where mobile phone towers are raising public protests. The management of LLC High School, Mattanchery, and many other local residents, had launched complaints against mobile operators but to no avail.

“We have issued many complaints against mobile operators but every time they return with a High Court order and police protection. We have now appealed to the Kochi Corporation regarding this,” said Ashraf, a daily labourer from Mattanchery. Unfortunately these towers are put up legally with government approval.

“We have no other option but give protection when we get a High Court order. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the Pollution Control Board and the health department to check such issues before granting permission to set up mobile phone towers in areas like Mattanchery,” said City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham.

District Collector M Beena said that the main problem is that there are no existing laws against the construction of mobile towers in residential areas and therefore the local panchayats don’t have the authority to deny requests to build such towers. “We are planning to approach the local self-government.

In the absence of a law banning the construction of such towers we cannot do anything. An advocate once pointed out that the High Court itself is surrounded by mobile towers,” said Ashraf.