The Hindu 17.12.2013
Cell tower agencies seek time from GHMC
Civic body had cut power supply to 240 unauthorised cell towers last week
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has received 150 applications seeking permissions related to telecommunication infrastructure towers following a crackdown launched against the ‘unauthorised’ cell towers last week.
After the civic body had cut power to 240 unauthorised cell towers on Thursday last, the cell tower agencies have sought some time for seeking the mandatory permissions. “We have given them time till Tuesday to complete all the formalities,” GHMC Additional Commissioner (Planning), D. Ronald Rose told media persons after the weekly ‘Prajavani’ programme on Monday.
“The cell tower representatives submitted that their networks will be disturbed if the power connection is removed so we had restored the same and gave them three working days. After the relief period we will launch the crackdown against those who do not take the authorisation as required under G.O. 380,” he said.
6,000 towers
According to the database collated by the GHMC three years ago, there were some 3,500 towers in the city and the numbers rose to cross the 6,000 mark. Yet, the number of towers registered and authorised by the civic body do not cross the two digit mark.
Mr. Rose said that notices were being issued against unauthorised towers since 2008 and two rounds of meetings were also held with their representatives, but it did not yield the desired results.
A team from the City Town Planning wing would visit all the cell phone towers for which authorisations were sought to check adherence to the guidelines prescribed by the State government, he added.
