India – Policy Recommendations On Cell Phones, Wireless Radiation & Health

2012 – The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology issued new EMF guidelines with new Exposure Limits lowered to 1/10 of the ICNIRP level, SAR labeling on phones made available to consumers at point of sale and a new SAR limit of 1.6W/kg over 1 gram. Mobile hand set manufactured and sold in India or imported from other countries shall be checked on random basis for compliance of SAR limit by a TEC SAR Laboratory.

Read the new Official Guidelines

httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=Nq821FuEDDQ Environmental Health Trust

Actor Irrfan Khan at cell tower protest in India

India Government Precautionary Guidelines for mobile users:

Keep distance – Hold the cell phone away from body to the extent possible.
Use a headset (wired or Bluetooth) to keep the handset away from your head.
Do not press the phone handset against your head. Radio Frequency (RF) energy is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source — being very close increases energy absorption much more.
Limit the length of mobile calls.
Use text as compared to voice wherever possible.
Put the cell phone on speaker mode.
If the radio signal is weak, a mobile phone will increase its transmission power. Find a strong signal and avoid movement – Use your phone where reception is good.
Metal & water are good conductors of radio waves so avoid using a mobile phone while wearing metal-framed glasses or having wet hair.
Let the call con
Advertisement by Government of India with recommendations to reduce cell phone exposure

nect before putting the handset on your ear or start speaking and listening – A mobile phone first makes the communication at higher power and then reduces power to an adequate level. More power is radiated during call connecting time.
If you have a choice, use a landline (wired) phone, not a mobile phone.
When your phone is ON, don’t carry it in chest/breast or pants pocket. When a mobile phone is ON, it automatically transmits at high power every one or two minutes to check (poll) the network.
Reduce mobile phone use by children as a younger person will likely have a longer lifetime exposure to radiation from cell phones.
People having active medical implants should preferably keep the cell phone at least 15 cm away from the implant.

These recommendations are part of the Precautionary Guidelines for Mobile Phone Users Issued by the Indian Government Department of Telecommunications ( PDF from 2012, online link in 2012)

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology EMF webpage.

Cell Towers Removed Near Schools/Homes in India Localities

2018: State of Karnataka drafts policy to limit cell towers near schools and homes and hospitals. Read news article “Mangaluru: Actress Juhi Chawla appreciates state’s new mobile tower policy” and TV debate Are cell phone towers safe? | The Urban Debate With Faye D’Souza.

“These towers should be at a minimum distance of 50 meters from schools, hospitals and places of worship. Silent generator needs to be installed. The towers which are already existing also have to implement all the rules mentioned in the policy. Before installing these towers on the house or buildings a certificate needs to be issued by the structural engineer with regards to the strength of that particular building.”

2016: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation bans mobile towers at parks, playgrounds

“The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its new policy on regularising mobile towers, has said such towers won’t be allowed on plots reserved for playgrounds, recreational grounds, gardens and parks.” Hindustan Times News Article – “Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) bans mobile towers at parks, playgrounds”

2015: Zilla Parishad orders removal of all cellphone towers within a 50-metre radius to schools citing exposure to “harmful radiation”. Kantilal Umap, chief executive officer of Pune Zilla Parishad, said, “We will survey the cellphone towers in all the grampanchayat limits in the district. Notices will be sent to unauthorised towers and those falling within a 50-metre radius from a school’s premises. They will have to be moved to another location.” Read Times of India News January 6 2015 article Zilla Parishad orders removal of cellphone towers near schools in district

2013: State of Rajasthan: Supreme Court of India upheld the 2012 High Court of the State of Rajasthan decision to remove all cell towers from the vicinity of schools, hospitals and playgrounds because of radiation “hazardous to life.”

Two hundred and four mobile towers installed on the school premises of Rajasthan have been removed in compliance.
Economic Times News Article – “Rajasthan HC orders relocation of mobile towers from schools, hospitals”
Hindustan Times News Article – “Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) bans mobile towers at parks, playgrounds”

2013 Mumbai Policy to Prohibit Mobile Towers in Educational Insitutions

In August 2013 the city of Mumbai, prohibited cell towers within 100 meters of schools, colleges, orphanages, child rehabilitation centers, and old age homes. It ordered that existing antennas on schools, colleges and hospitals be removed. It also prohibited the installation of antennas on residential rooftops without the consent of every person on the top floor, as well as the consent of 70% of the people in the rest of the building. And it began the process of dismantling 3,200 illegal rooftop towers.

Policy: REVISED DRAFT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLATION OF MOBILE TOWERS IN THE CITY OF MUMBAI first developed in January 2013.

Read the Indian Express article “State approves policy ban on installation near schools”

Indian Council of Medical Research Continues research on EMFs:

“Short Report on the Indian Studies” – Document prepared by Dr. Sharma, Sr. Deputy Director of the Indian Council of Medical Research on Indian Research Studies.
ICMR to study effect of cellphone on public health:

“ICMR, the apex government body for biomedical research in the country, has embarked on an ambitious five-year study to measure the effect of radiation from cellphones and cellphone towers on human health and has asked for healthy volunteers in the age group 18-45 years.”

“Though a review of international scientific data has not established conclusive evidence on the safety or risk of RFR emitted from cellphones and towers, a growing body of scientific evidences indicate the adverse health effects of RFR, which may be possible if not probable, said the ICMR.”

“Diseases that may have potential links to the cellphone radiation are brian tumour, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disorder, ENT impairment, electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome, genetoxic effect, infertility, anxiety, sleepiness, poor appetite and headache, it said.”

Read a short history of Indian safety standards at Legal questions surrounding installation of cell towers

“These cell towers release radiation in a large amount which can cause harm to birds, surrounding ecology and even on the human health.[1] This has been a concern in India for a long time and recently in the case of Bhupesh v. DDA[2] the court played an proactive role and directed to deactivate mobile tower as it was observed that it caused harm to health.” Sakshar Law Associates

Department of Telecom, Government of India

Department of Telecom, Government of India, Information paper On Effects of Electromagnetic Field Radiation from Mobile Towers and Handsets 30th July, 2014

[pdf-embedder url=”https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Eng_final.doc-copy.pdf” title=”Eng_final.doc copy”]

“Ensuring  Safety  from  Radiations :  Mobile  Towers  and  Handsets” – Graphic including precautionary guidelines for mobile phones

2011 Ministry of Environment and Forest Study on the Impact of Communication Towers

Screen Shot 20170629 at 72725 AM Environmental Health Trust

Government of India Report on Communications Towers

“Report on Possible Impacts of Communication Towers on Wildlife Including Birds and Bees”
“The review of existing literature shows that the Electro Magnetic Radiations (EMRs) are interfering with the biological systems in more ways than one. There had already been some warning bells sounded in the case of bees and birds, which probably heralds the seriousness of this issue and indicates the vulnerability of other species as well.”

Celebrity Advocates Raising Awareness