Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon sends notices on illegal towers to telecom companies

The Gurgaon municipal corporation might ban mobile phone towers of prominent telecommunication companies in the city after the operators failed to submit the details of location, radiation level and fee paid for the towers.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has sent notices to four telecom companies asking them for immediate compliance without which their mobile phone towers will be seized or demolished in a month.

An MCG official said there are 580 mobile phone towers in the city, of which, only 26 have permission and 554 are illegal. Hence, the civic body has initiated a legal process to take action against illegal towers.

As per the norms issued in 2006, mobile phone towers are not allowed in residential areas. Also, there should be no schools or hospitals in a 100 metre radius of the tower.

As per the civic body’s directive, telecom operators, existing and upcoming, have to seek permission from the MCG before installing towers.

Apart from displaying the radiation level on the tower, a structural certificate and an approved building plan are mandatory before installing a mobile tower, the official said.

“For several existing towers, telecom companies had applied for the mandatory permission needed from the corporation. But, on verification, most towers were found to be illegal for flouting prescribed norms. Notices have been send to operators to comply with the norms immediately. Or else, their illegal mobile towers will be seized or demolished,” Sudhir Singh Chouhan, senior town planner said.

In November 2015, after receiving several complaints about illegal mobile phone towers in the city, MCG acting commissioner TL Satyaprakash had directed to form a telecom committee, comprising Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), MCG and police officials.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, notices were sent to the telecom companies, the official said.