Stop using cell phones if worried about harmful radiation, suggests Delhi High Court

Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition of some Vasant Kunj residents alleging that a mobile tower was being set up in their area in violation of recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee.

Dismissing the plea, Justice R S Endlaw advised the residents of Pocket 4 in Vasant Kunj area of South West Delhi to stop using mobiles and revert to land line phones if they were against the installation of a mobile tower in their locality and concerned about the harmful radiation from mobile towers. The court said the usage of technology as well as interference in its functioning cannot go hand-in-hand and added that if cell phone usage was stopped by the people, then the service providers will not put up mobile towers.

The residents of the area had said that the tower was being installed inside their colony, which also had a school, in violation of recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee which had said that such towers should not be put up in residential areas or near schools or hospitals. 

The court said the Delhi government had considered the recommendations and decided to adopt some aspects of the IMC report, and therefore, the government cannot be faulted for not adopting other aspects of the report, as it was a policy decision.