Monday, July 08, 2013

BMC wants no cell towers on schools, hospitals, orphanages


BMC wants no cell towers on schools, hospitals, orphanages



MUMBAI: The BMC's draft guidelines for installation of cell phone towers has put schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, child rehabilitation centres and old age homes out of bounds for such antennae.

It has specified that all persons living on or below the terrace of residential buildings must give their consent. A building owner's nod, a no-objection certificate from the cooperative society and consent of 70% occupants are also needed.

TOI had first reported this on November 12, 2012.

Besides a ban on towers at schools, colleges, hospitals, hostels, orphanages and old age homes, the BMC has proposed that no cell phone tower will be allowed on buildings within three metres from such institutions and also that nearby antennae shouldn't be directed or positioned towards these buildings.

Existing mobile antennae on school, college and hospital buildings have to be removed immediately on expiry of the period of approval. The approval will not be renewed.

"We have submitted this draft policy and we will invite suggestions and objections from the public," said a civic official from the development plan (DP) department.

Several studies have raised fears of a negative impact of the radiation from cell antennae on human health, hinting at problems ranging from headache to cancer.

In a pro-citizen move, the draft policy has made it clear that towers can be set up in a residential building only if a general body resolution of the co-operative society specifically indicates that all residents living below or on the terrace (site of the antennae) have agreed to the installation. Moreover, only two towers will be allowed on one building or wing of a building.

Also, a mobile service provider will have to submit an undertaking that there is no building as tall as the lowest antenna right in front of the tower. For two antennae, the other buildings must be 35m away, for four 45m away, and so on.

Owners of a building keen to host cell phone towers have to submit a structural stability certificate from a BMC-licenced structural engineer. If the building is over 30 years old, a fresh structural stability certificate will be needed every five years. A warning signboard must be installed at the entrance to the terrace where a tower is erected.

Depending on nature and location of the building, a raft of NOCs will be needed from the civil aviation authority, the Maharashtra Coastal Regulatory Zone Authority, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, the estate department if it's a municipal leasehold property and the repair board if it's a cessed property.

The BMC has pointed out that according to rule 5(3) of the Development Control Regulation (DCR) 1991, a mobile service provider installing antennae should submit site plan, plans of proposed work, height, weight, ground or rooftop and number of antennae planned. Another rule limits the covered area required on top of the terrace, antennae, dish antennae, communication tower used for telecom, transponders or similar IT-related structure at 20 sq m.

Guidelines issued by the Union government's department of telecommunication will be mandatory alongside the BMC's, the civic body has added.

Highlights of Draft Policy

*A cell phone tower can be set up only after

a) Consent from a building's owner

b) No-objection certificate from a co-operative housing society and consent of 70% occupants

c) And most important, consent of all residents staying below the terrace (installation site) or on the terrace

*No towers allowed in schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, child rehabilitation centres and old age homes

*No towers allowed on buildings within 3m from these institutions

*Antennae near these institutions must not be directed or positioned towards these buildings

*Building to host tower must have a structural stability certificate from structural engineer with a BMC licence

*If the building is more than 30 years old, a fresh structural stability certificate must every 5 years

*A warning signboard must at the entrance to terrace with a tower

*BMC has specified distance between buildings in case one has an antenna

BMC to allow maximum 2 cell towers on any bldg

The BMC plans not to allow cell phone towers on buildings within three metres from institutions like schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages and old age homes and also that nearby antennae shouldn't be directed or positioned towards these buildings.

Existing mobile antennae on school, college and hospital buildings have to be removed immediately on expiry of the period of approval. The approval will not be renewed.

"We have submitted this draft policy and we will invite suggestions and objections from the public," said a civic official from the development plan (DP) department.

Several studies have raised fears of a negative impact of the radiation from cell antennae on human health, hinting at problems ranging from headache to cancer.

In a pro-citizen move, the draft policy has made it clear that towers can be set up in a residential building only if a general body resolution of the co-operative society specifically indicates that all residents living below or on the terrace (site of the antennae) have agreed to the installation.

Moreover, only two towers will be allowed on one building or wing of a building.

Also, a mobile service provider will have to give an undertaking that there is no building as tall as the lowest antenna right in front of the tower. For two antennae, the other buildings must be 35m away, for four 45m away, and so on.

Owners of a building keen to host cell phone towers have to submit a structural stability certificate from a BMC-licenced structural engineer. If the building is over 30 years old, a fresh structural stability certificate will be needed every five years.

A warning signboard must be installed at the entrance to the terrace where a tower is erected.

Depending on nature and location of the building, a raft of NOCs will be needed from the civil aviation authority, the Maharashtra Coastal Regulatory Zone Authority, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, the estate department if it's a municipal leasehold property and the repair board if it's a cessed property.

The BMC has pointed out that according to rules, a service provider installing antennae should submit site plan, height, weight, ground or rooftop and number of antennae planned. Guidelines issued by the department of telecommunication will be mandatory too, the civic body has added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/BMC-wants-no-cell-towers-on-schools-hospitals-orphanages/articleshow/20980266.cms

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