This stringent guideline is among several others that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has lined up in its draft policy on cellphone towers. Several citizens have been up in arms against their respective societies' managing committees for permitting towers without their consent, especially considering growing concerns over the health hazards of radiation emitted from cellphone towers.
"We plan to make it mandatory for an operator to get 70% consent from the occupants of a housing society on which a mobile tower is proposed . Citizens' views must be considered before a tower is allowed on their building," said municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte.
The entire framework for this rule, Kunte further said, will be similar to that of any redevelopment or slum rehabilitation proposal. Even in such proposals, 70% consent of the residents is required before details of a plan are finalised.
The draft proposal, which was formulated following instructions from the high court, also mentions that no more than two towers will be allowed on a building terrace. A structural certificate will have to be acquired from a structural engineer who holds a BMC licence.
The civic body also plans to increase the operator's deposit amount . "The deposit amount will be increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000," said a senior civic official from the building proposal department.
Additions are being made to the draft policy on the lines of the Union department of telecommunications (DoT) guidelines on installation of mobile phone towers. It will be tabled before the civic general body.
"There are a few clauses in the draft policy which will need the civic general body's ratification. We will soon table the policy before the body," said Kunte.
The policy also mentions no towers will be allowed on school and hospital buildings.
The antenna position of towers atop buildings around schools and hospitals has also been specified in the draft policy.
Source:The Times Of India
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