There is no scientific data to indicate existence of cancer risk from mobile tower emissions, claimed Member of Grace Cancer Foundation, Dr N Eshwar Chandra, while speaking at a panel discussion on the subject on Wednesday.
He said that the studies done by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and other reputed organisations have found no scientific evidence to establish a link between ailments like cancer and infertility and radio frequency (RF) radiation.
Dr Chandra said that the Grace Cancer foundation is engaged in providing education on early detection of the disease, treatment support and help for the needy and has also done research on the mobile tower radiation and its impact on human health.
Speaking at the session, former Member (Technology), Telecom Commission, Government of India, SS Sirohi claimed that India follows one of the strictest norms in permissible levels of EMF emissions, which are ten times more stringent than the international standards prescribed by the WHO.
He said that Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has a country-wide network of over 30 specialist enforcement and monitoring units called TERM cells to make rigid checks and enforce severe penalty in cases of non-compliance.
Seeking to banish fears of emissions from mobile towers, noted telecom expert T.V. Ramachandran, said, “Radio frequency radiation from mobile towers and phones is minuscule — one-thousandth to one-millionth of an electron volt (eV)- it means the radiation from mobile towers is lakhs of times weaker than X-rays or UV rays and even visible light.”
The speakers were of the view that on mobile tower emission the fear is creating avoidable havoc among unsuspecting public and the campaign is also jeopardizing the Government’s Digital India initiative by weakening the mobile telephony network in the country.
Removal of mobile towers and non-renewal of licenses have brought down the number of mobile towers in the country at a time when there is a need to bolster network infrastructure to make ambitious schemes like Make in India and Digital India successful.