Display cell emission levels: Govt

NEW DELHI: Mobile companies will now have to list out the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) levels of different handsets to the buyers. The department of telecommunications is going to issue orders, after due consultations with mobile handset manufacturers, to prominently display the SAR levels – which is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body when using a handset – on the packing, minister of state for telecommunications and information technology, Sachin Pilot, said on Thursday. He said the government is also going to launch a nationwide crackdown on companies which have been flouting its guidelines on electromagnetic emissions from mobile towers and have failed to self-certify the mobile towers. Such companies will be fined Rs 5 lakh for each non-compliant base station.

“In my view, people buying phones have all rights to know the SAR level of a particular product before buying them. The inter-ministerial committee has recommended that this should be followed strictly by all companies given the health hazards some phones – with higher SAR levels – can cause. We have asked all stakeholders – mobile manufacturers, citizen groups and NGOs – to give their response on the view and based on that we will issue directions for major display of SAR level. We have asked the stakeholders to submit their responses by February 25,” said Pilot. He said that mobile handsets being imported will also be required to have self-certification on radiation standards. More than 90% mobile phone users do not know about SAR level. It is usually given in the user manual, which in wrapped inside the packet or put up on the website of the company.

An inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology, department of telecommunications, Government of India which recently submitted its report found that higher the SAR level of a handset, there are more chances of health hazards to the user including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances.

Pilot said that more than one lakh Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) mounted on mobile towers for mobile communications in the country have failed to self-certify themselves as per the international standards prescribed by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the government is going to penalize such companies. “They failed to meet two deadlines set for self-certification and now we are going to penalize such companies. Radiation from mobile handsets and mobile towers – the inter-ministerial panel constituted by us has concluded – cause health hazards and it is important to take steps to check the same,” said Pilot. He said the government panel is seriously considering lowering the radio frequency exposure limits, as recommended by the committee.

“The committee has suggested that the radiation limits need to be lowered to 1/10{+t}{+h} of the existing level. The recommendations have been put on the DoT website for response from the stakeholders, citizen groups and NGOs. A decision in this regard will be taken soon,” he said.

The minister added the department is strengthening Telecom Engineering and Resource Monitoring Cells ( TERM) to ensure effective monitoring of mobile towers.