BSNL mobile tower caused cancer, claims Gwalior man

SC orders deactivation of BSNL's mobile tower.  A man had moved court claiming the mobile tower caused cancer. 

In what could be called the first in such a case, Supreme Court has ordered for deactivation of a BSNL tower. The order comes in response to Harish Chand Tiwari, working as a domestic help in Gwalior's Dal Baazar who moved court last claiming the phone tower caused cancer, according to ET Telecom.

He complained that a BSNL tower was installed on the roof of his employer's neighbour's house, and exposed him to harmful electromagnetic radiation for the past 14 years. Reportedly, the tower was illegally installed in the residential area in 2002 and just 20 metres from the house he worked at.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha has ordered BSNL to deactivate the BSNL mobile tower within seven days. It will be the first tower to be shut down, following an individual complaint. 

An Indian Express report adds that, "The court clubbed the petition with several such pleas. While posting the matter for further hearing in July, the court ordered that the tower in Gwalior be removed within seven days."

This move could easily restart the debate over harmful mobile tower radiations, and whether they cause cancer or not. The proliferating mobile towers in residential areas are becoming a cause of worry. It should be noted that 108 mobile towers found exceeding radiation limits.