The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has turned a blind eye to illegal cellphone towers in its area. Over 66 per cent of cellphone towers are operating in South Delhi without the permission of the civic body.
As per a report, there are total 3,377 cell towers, out of which 2,245 towers have been erected without permission and just 40 towers have been removed since the inception of SDMC making matters worse.
The SDMC, which is under scanner for not initiating a crackdown on the menace of illegal towers, had announced drive to crackdown on such towers. However, sources said there has been a steep increase in the number of illegal towers in the past few months.
leader of Opposition in SDMC, Farhad Suri said that the Corporation is filling its pockets by taking money from mobile tower operators. “Either you regularise the mobile tower operators or remove them totally”.
“We have decided to start sending notices to cellular companies for removal of these towers. There are close to 3,400 mobile towers in our area. We are also conducting a fresh survey to identify the new towers that have been installed in the past few months. We will first issue notice, but if the companies don’t remove the tower or get it approved from the civic agencies, we will seal it,” said Radhey Shyam Sharma, Standing Committee Chairman of SDMC.
Moreover a large number of towers have been installed in residential colonies. Due to growing awareness about the harmful radiation emitted from these towers, the civic agency has received several requests for their removal.
“We also need to check the structural soundness of the building where the tower is installed. Huge generator sets have been installed along with the tower on the roof of the building. Therefore, it is very important to check the stability of the structure,’’ said an official said.
He added that the policy was revised to limit the number of towers in residential colonies. Under the new policy, first preference was given to municipal and Government buildings (barring hospitals and schools) followed by non-residential areas - near drains and vacant land. Not many operators have applied for permission in the last one year.