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.