KOCHI: For a country where the mobile phone subscriber base is growing at 1.5 crore every month, the risk factor emanating from mobile towers is so high that it could even lead to food crisis, besides apparent health concerns.The electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and towers is fast spreading its tentacles all around.The latest Census data reveals that nearly half the country’s 1.2-billion population own cellphones but have no lavatories.“Though the number of towers is not rising to the extent it was earlier owing to strong public protest, the existing ones are being stepped up. Most towers are transmitting 7,020 microwatt per sq m, contrary to the permissible 600 microwatt per sqm. Recently a tower was set up at a primary school in Alangad, posing threat to little children,” said environmentalist S Sitaraman.The specific absorption rate (SAR) limit, (rate at which human bodies absorb heat, measured in units of watts per kg of tissue) is 1.6 w/kg , equivalent to 6 minutes per day with a 3 to 4 safety margin which comes to 18 to 24 minutes.Bees and sparrows are vanishing in the state. US studies have put the estimated loss of food owing to pollination fall at $30 billion, he said.“The ill-effects of radiation cause health problems in human beings, animals, birds, honey bees and vegetation. There are five lakh mobile phone towers. Though TRAI puts it at 3.5 lakh, a large number of illegal towers exist,” says Professor Gireesh Kumar of IIT Mumbai, who is conducting studies on mobile phone radiation across the country.People living within 50 to 30 metre radius are in high radiation zone.Studies reveal that those living in this area are prone to cancer, concentration, memory and behavioural problems. Other disorders reported are sleep disruption, headache, depression, discomfort, irritability, nausea, dizziness, appetite loss, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, and altered reflexes. There are also symptoms of buzzing in the head, palpitations of the heart, light-headedness, heat, visual disorders, cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems, nervousness and agitation. More severe reactions include seizures, paralysis, psychosis and stroke.It was also reported that there is a 30 per cent decrease in sperm count in intensive mobile phone users, in addition to sperm damage.“The ICNIRP guidelines adopted by India is intended to protect the public against short-term gross heating effects and not against ‘biological’ effects such as cancer and genetic damage,” he said. Farmers have reported that cows give 50 per cent less milk, fruits are turning smaller by 50 per cent and vegetation hit as the heat from radiation spurs evaporation. Sparrows are vanishing. Birds have more volume and less weight and are unable to withstand the rising temperature, he said.“New technologies such as signal enhancers, boosters or repeaters can be used to combat the problem but they are expensive. More 2-watt mobile towers should replace 100-watt transmitting towers,” he said. Telecom operators were not available for comment.
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