Now, sound off cell towers

If you feel high radiation level from cellphone towers is wreaking havoc in your life, you can complain about it. Union minister of state for communication and information technology, Milind Deora, inaugurated in the city on Thursday the first complaint-handling system for radiation from mobile towers.

You can either log on to www.dot.gov.in anytime of the day or you can call 9969555000 on working days from 10am to 5.30pm. This helpline assumes significance given the high density of buildings in the city and their proximity to mobile towers.

“With this infrastructure, we want to ensure that in the absence of conclusive information… we are preventing any health risk to the people,” said Deora.

Actor Juhi Chawla, who has spoken out on the issue in the past, launched the portal.

On receipt of a complaint, the telecom enforcement resource and monitoring (TERM) cell in Mumbai will conduct tests at tower sites for which complainants will have to pay Rs 4,000. If a site is found to be non-compliant with the norms, the fee will be refunded and charged to the violator. Complaints will be attended to within 10 days of being lodged.

Of nearly 160 complaints received by the TERM cell in Mumbai, it has sorted out only about 12 due to manpower shortage, said a senior official.

RK Bhatnagar, advisor (technology), department of telecommunications, said in case of high radiation levels, operators will be equipped to take corrective action.