Tamil Nadu LSA of the Department of Telecommunications organised Online Awareness
Tamil Nadu LSA of the Department of Telecommunications organised Online Awareness Workshop on EMF Radiation
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, March 17, 2021: The Tamil Nadu Licence Service Area (LSA) unit of Department of Tel ecommunications (DoT) organised an “Awareness Workshop on EMF Radiation” in Chennai, on 17th March 2021. As part of DoT’s ongoing public advocacy programme, the session was organised to dispel myths around EMF radiation and address unfounded fears of citizens by presenting credible scientific evidence.
An expert panel comprising of senior officers from the telecom department along with doctors, addressed concerns of citizens while also debunking myths and misinformation related to health hazards connected with radiation from mobile towers.
The workshop was attended by government officials, general public, residents’ welfare associations, students, doctors, telecom service providers, infrastructure providers and other officials. The eminent key speakers at the event were Smt R Radha , Advisor, TN LSA, Chennai; Shri R Balaji Prasad, DDG (Compliance), DoT; Shri M Venaiah ,Director (C), O/o Advisor, TN LSA, Chennai; Shri Dr Jena, DDG, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI); Shri Suresh, DGM Network, Airtel, Tamil Nadu LSA and Shri Dr. TK Joshi, Advisor to Health Minister, Govt of India.
Shri R Balaji Prasad, DDG (C), Tamil Nadu LSA spoke about the importance of mobile towers and why well-entre nched telecommunications infrastructure is a must have for streamlined network connectivity. Addressing co ncerns, he added, “We would like to assure all citizens that there is no risk to health from mobile tower radiation as the EMF radiation norms for India are 10 times stricter than the limits prescribed by the International Commi ssion on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and are in adherence to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).”.
Smt R Radha, Advisor, TN LSA, Chennai said that “The department had conducted electromagnetic field (EMF) tests for 1226 towers and 5605 base transceiver units (BTUs) across the state from July 2020 to February 2021. The EMF emission from BTUs installed on the telecom towers were found within the prescribed limits. All the telecom towers installed across Tamil Nadu are safe. Public health and safety is of paramount importance to the Government and to ensure these Standards are designed and enforced so that all places are equally safe”.
Dr. TK Joshi, Advisor to Health Minister, Govt of India said “There is absolutely no harm from emission from BTS installed on the telecom towers. Based on over 25,000 studies, the WHO has also concluded that there is no risk to human health from mobile tower radiation.”
Lt. Gen Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI said “The Telecom Industry is diligently working towards contributing in making India a globally digitally advanced nation. These EMF myths have led to removal of mobile towers which has hindered and led to poor connectivity. These fears will only put India in the backlog than a forward moving nation. We are following the EMF emissions norms set by DOT, which are being regularly monitored by 34 LSAs, DoT, Govt. of India.”
Shri M Venaiah, Director (C), O/o Advisor, TN LSA, Chennai said “Telecom Service Providers undergo stringent measurements and audits and provide certificates regarding compliance with these standards for each Base Station antennae. Additionally, the DoT regularly monitors the EMF emission levels from towers across India and ensures compliance with emission norms across the country through its field units. LSA also conducts physical audits of sites in collaboration with telecom service provides – this is done by random selection and testing of the power of available EMF signals at different probable locations near the site.”
It is also pertinent to note that the EMF emission norms in India take into account 24×7 EMF emission and have been determined keeping into mind all the possible groups that may be affected and has enough safety margins to provide safeguard to everyone – from pregnant women, to children, senior citizens, etc. Citizens need not worry about the adverse effect of mobile tower EMF radiation as they are been strictly monitored and evidence from credible sources have repeatedly ruled out the possibility of any impending health hazards emanating from EMF radiations.
The misconception with our population in the villages of Tamil Nadu on EMF emission is wrong and installation of towers should be allowed in their respective localities There are checks and balances in places to ensure telcos adhere to the norms set by the Government. The Government of India follows 10 times more stringent norms than what has been prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by WHO.
Mobile connectivity is the need of the hour for all sections of society. There is a need to realise the importance of mobile towers in order to maintain the standard of this essential service; however, due to misconceptions and myths, mobile towers were removed at several places after installation, resulting in poor connectivity. This pro gramme will help address such issues.During Q&A session, the panellists responded that Network Connectivity is authoritative for a connected future and a healthy infrastructure will support the advancement of many tech nologies, which in turn would enhance the way we all live and work.
The level of exposure near a cell phone tower typically is many times lower than the exposure from using a cell phone. DoT and Telecom Operators are fully committed and equipped to ensure compliance of guidelines. These guidelines are designed to safeguard the concerns of citizens on EMF exposure norms are adhered as to safe guard our beloved citizens.
For towers, emission check : go to http://tarangsanchar.gov.in/EMFportal
Click on the location and find EMF levels. Site also geo-locates location by itself. Get email updates for the tower near you.
Mobile radiation check: Type *#07# on mobile to check mobile-specific absorption rate (SAR). The SAR value, which is the radiation emitted by a cell phone, will have to be displayed on mobile handsets. The 1.6 watts/kg averaged over a mass of 1 gram human tissue are only permitted to be manufactured or imported in India for the domestic market.
