IIT Bombay faculty seek removal of mobile tower

“The mobile tower is located directly opposite our labs less than 20 metres away. It’s too close for comfort and we are concerned about our health,” said Prof Swati Patankar.

As per the new norms for cell phone towers,which came into effect in September 2012,electromagnetic radiation levels cannot exceed 450 milliwatt per sq m and the minimum distance of a tower (with two antennae) from a residential building has to be 35 m.

The cellular and tissue engineering lab and molecular parasitology lab are located on the sixth and fifth floors of the biosciences and bioengineering department. “So far,there has been no official response from the institute authorities,” said Patankar.

The department has put up films with electronic chips on windows,which the faculty members claim shield the labs from mobile tower emissions.

Institute authorities said regulations were being followed and cellular operators have been allowed to put up towers strictly as per norms.

The issue was also highlighted in the online edition of ‘Insight’,the student media body of IIT Bombay. “The authorities are looking into the matter and planning to have a single tower near the main building and set up network boosters around the institute,” claims the online article.

The article says radiation levels were measured in areas where a cellphone tower was installed and “the readings are well within the limits enforced by the law”.

In 2011,several students had organised a signature campaign against a cellphone tower over the C-wing of Hostel 14 and wanted it removed. The tower,however,remains in place.