Citizen moves PHC against installation of cell-phone towers around public places

PESHAWAR: A citizen on Saturday moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) seeking an order to stop installation of mobile companies Base Transmission System towers and microwaves antennas near schools, hospitals and populous residential areas as these were transmitting hazardous radiations causing serious diseases and health problems.

The petition was filed by Muhammad Naeem, resident of Peshawar, through his lawyer Noor Alam Khan, who claimed that his wife had developed cancer due to hazardous radiation from the mobile companies’ towers.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government, Environmental Protection Agency, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority through its chairman, and Chief Executive Officers of mobile companies were made parties in the petition.

About the facts of the case, it said that mobile towers were installed atop buildings and they were dangerous because they emitted microwaves at a frequency of 1900 MHz, which was the intense radioactivity from mobile phones towers that adversely impacted every biological organism within one square kilometre.

It was claimed in the petition that the installation of cellular phone system was causing a number of health problems to the people.

It said that microwaves from mobile phones towers and microwave antennas can interfere in human body by causing a variety of potential health problems such as headache, memory loss, cardiovascular stress, cancer, low sperm count, miscarriages, disturbance of nervous system and brain tumors.

It was claimed in the petition that currently about 3,000 persons suffered from cancer due to radiations from mobile phones towers.

It said the respondent mobile phone companies had installed Base Transmission System (towers) at very sensitive areas near schools, hospitals and residential areas in the province that were transmitting dangerous microwaves.

It was prayed in the petition to protect the people from the hazardous of environmental pollution by implementing the zoning laws made for environmental protection.

The petition sought direction to respondents to implement international laws, guidelines and policies for the protection of environment from the hazardous aesthetic pollution and radiation that was being released from the Base Transmission System and microwaves antennas.

It prayed the court to direct the respondents to avoid installing the BTS towers and microwave antennas near schools, hospitals and residential areas.