NGT Directs Bihar Pollution Control Board To Frame Guidelines For Installation Of Mobile Towers

The National Green Tribunal on Monday directed the Bihar State Pollution Control Board to frame guidelines within three months with regard to the installation of mobile towers and its harmful effects.

A bench of Justice SP Wangdi and expert member Dr. Nagin Nanda passed the order after noting that although the state pollution control board has initiated actions to deal with the menace caused by mobile towers there are no guidelines.

The state government told the bench that Bihar Communication Tower and Related Structure Rules, 2012, have been notified and Rule 3 and 4 provide that communication towers shall be permitted to be erected or installed only on a commercial building or vacant land and that such tower shall not be installed within a radius of hundred metres from the school, college or hospital.

"In view of the above, the matter need not be kept pending except to direct the Bihar State Pollution Control Board to expedite the process of framing of the guidelines as done by the other States referred earlier.

"These guidelines would be available on the websites of the State Pollution Control Boards of the States which can be downloaded by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board," the bench said.

Central Pollution Control Board placed on record December 2010 issue of ‘Parivesh’, a newsletter published by the Central Pollution Control Board by which the potential hazard of the mobile tower and the nature of electromagnetic emission released by mobile tower have been highlighted.

The newsletter also dealt with the existing international standards for compliance of the internationally recognized standards, CPCB said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Bihar resident Abhijit Sinha seeking directions to frame guidelines for installation of mobile towers in the state as done by the other State Pollution Control Boards.

The plea made specific reference to the rules and regulations framed by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Department of Information Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal, Karnataka Pollution Control Board, Tripura Pollution Control Board, Assam Pollution Control Board, Kerala Pollution Control Board etc.