LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Development Authority is all set to put in place new guidelines for installation of mobile towers in the city. The authority has constituted a committee headed by LDA secretary to come up with new guidelines/regulations within two months. The development coincides with the Centre's move to issue new guidelines, while asking mobile companies to reduce radiation levels.

LDA vice-chairman, Rajneesh Dubey said that the committee has been asked to study the new guidelines of the Centre, see how the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) adhered to it and subsequently come up with measures which are in conformity with the new guidelines of the central government. The new guidelines are based on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee of the ministry of communication and information technology (IT), which suggested reduction in the level of radiation from the existing 9.2 watt per square metre to 0.92 watt per square metre.

"Once the committee submits its report and comes with new guidelines they will be endorsed by the board of LDA," Dubey said, while speaking to TOI on Monday. "The committee has been asked to submit its report within two months after which necessary action will be taken against the erring companies," he said.

As a matter of fact, none of the scores of mobile towers installed in the city have got the due sanction of the authority. According to records, LDA received only 60 applications to install the towers, till date. Of these, 21 applications were for installation of towers in Hazratganj, while 24 were from Hasanganj. Couple of applications were also received from areas like Chowk, Alambagh, Wazirganj, Gomtinagar, Aliganj and Indiranagar. However, none of them have got the sanction. LDA officials maintain that while in some case, the map of the building is not passed, while in some cases there is absence of no-objection certificate from the respective residential welfare associations. There have also been cases, where the companies did not show the requisite NOC from the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).

It, however, remains to be seen as to how the authority would enforce the new guidelines, which appear to get stricter considering the health hazards posed by the radiations from the mobile towers. The authority has already been struggling to get the existing rules, which are essentially in conformity with the building by-laws, enforced.

LDA sources said that there had been instances of residential welfare associations pointing out some of the dangerously installed towers in the localities. "We have been lodging complaints with the LDA repeatedly. However, no action has been taken against anyone," said Brikeshwar Tewari, president of a residential welfare society in Gomtinagar.