Health hazard from mobile towers

These days, the mobile phone is such a necessity that one cannot survive without one. Without a mobile phone, everything comes to a standstill. It is frustrating when signals are low and one cannot talk or browse the internet. In order to enhance the signals and to satisfy the customers, telecom companies install mobile towers in various locations. They offer a good sum to get it installed for the space. But then, there are some serious side effects and health hazards when mobile towers are installed in residential areas. Mobile phone towers emit dangerous electromagnetic rays. Safety norms are often ignored while setting up towers on buildings in residential areas, pushing the lives of people into danger. Electromagnetic radiation is also suspected to have severe effects on the people living in the vicinity of these towers. These effects have been divided into two categories, thermal and non-thermal. The thermal effects are like heating something in the microwave which may cause fatigue, cataract and may affect one's concentration power. It is not just people who live nearby the tower who are affected, but even people living at a distance also get affected. The non-thermal effect has serious effects on one's cell membrane permeability. Children and pregnant women are at maximum risk from mobile towers located close by. Since a child's skull is thinner, as such the radiation has severe effects by way of penetrating deep into the skull. Radiations are also harmful for the birds and animals, with the scientific community saying that due to radiation, shells of the eggs of the birds and insects get thin and these waves affect the sense of birds to navigate. Keeping this in view, it is important to find out what the Department of Telecommunication says about the establishment of mobile towers in residential areas. The antenna rules, as per DoT guidelines, say that if a mobile tower has one antenna, it should be installed at a minimum distance of 20 metres from a house. In case of two antennas, then the minimum distance from the tower to the nearest house should be 35 metres. A tower with four antennas should be located at least 45 metres away from residential buildings, while for towers with six antennas the minimum distance should be 55 metres.