MOBILEtowers in the State capital will no longer be cleared merely on availability of land. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zonal Bench, has directed the Urban Development Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for installation and operation of telecom towers within city limits. Under the proposed framework, locations in and around schools, hospitals, hostels, playgrounds, jails and densely populated areas will be governed by local land-use and building construction rules. The SOP must incorporate land-use status, building bylaws, environmental norms and radiation compliance before permission is granted. Citing expert reports and available scientific literature, the Tribunal observed that there is at present no conclusive evidence of identifiable harm from non-ionising radiation emitted by telecom networks, in line with WHO assessments. However, it stressed the need for a clear local regulatory mechanism.

 

Radiation certification mandatory: Every tower must be checked by the Department of Telecommunications’ Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cell. Telecom providers will have to submit a self-certificate within 15 days of testing, proving emissions are within prescribed DoT limits. Operations can begin only after this. Regular audits have been ordered, with immediate corrective action if limits are breached. DG sets under pollution ambit: Diesel Generator sets powering towers will now require prior consent from the State Pollution Control Board, with adherence to air and noise emission standards. Special focus on vulnerable areas: The NGT order reiterates its earlier precautionary principle direction, BMC was previously asked to survey towers within 100 metres of schools and hospitals, to ensure safety norms are not compromised. The new SOP is expected to be finalised soon, bringing uniformity and transparency to tower approvals in Bhopal.