Ahmedabad Mirror: Ahmedabad: Thursday, November 13, 2014.
Amobile phone
tower in the middle of a Vastrapur society has become a bone of contention
among the members. The tower which is at the centre of the row has been in
place at Lad Society for the past 12 years. However, for the past two years, a
member of the society has been fighting to get the tower removed, alleging that
radiation from it has caused cancer to his wife and health issues for other
members.
Deepak Nagori
has alleged that his 60-year-old wife Jayshree had been afflicted by cancer due
to the tower, while depression, eye infection and other health problems have
plagued the society. But nobody has dared to take it up with the society for
fear of consequences, Nagori alleges. The society was formed in 1966 and the
Nagori family moved into Bungalow No 48 in 1982. There are 50 bungalows in the
society. Nagori who is in the timber business told Mirror, "On March 22,
2002, the society had signed an agreement with the company to allow it to
install a mobile tower on payment of Rs 6,000 per month. The tower is illegal
as no permission has been granted by the municipal corporation."
Jayshree was
detected with cancer in 2008 and she has recovered after five years of medical
treatment, but has to go for a check-up every six months, he says. Jayshree
says that all members are well-educated and have no dearth of money. "The
common plot is not a money-making machine. If they get the tower removed, we
are ready to pay up whatever they earn from the installation. Society members
should take into account the health of youngsters and get it removed. Moreover,
if by accident the tower collapses, who will be held responsible," she
said.
Nagori had
sought information under RTI from the AMC on May 8, 2012, in which the civic
body has clearly pointed out that the civic body has not taken permission to
install the tower. On December 8, 2012, I had also filed an application with
the Jilla Registrar which had ordered for removal of the tower. Kashmira Shah,
who used to live in Bungalow No 26, and moved out a couple of months ago to
another society too had been afflicted by cancer, but does not attribute it to
the tower. "Cancer did strike me, but I am not saying it was due to
radiation from the tower. Moreover, removal of the tower is the subject of the
society, what can I say."
Chartered
Accountant Bhupendra Shah has been living in Bungalow No 18 for the past 30
years. "My family has faced no health problems due to the tower. But it
has been technically proven that radiation from such towers does affect the
health of people. The society should take into account the health of all the
members and get it removed. I have heard that four members had health problems
due to the tower, but I am not sure." Society chairman Rajnikant Patel is
of the opinion that it has not been proven that radiation from a mobile tower
causes cancer.
"When we
signed an agreement in 2002, the mobile company had to take permission from the
AMC. The proposal to install the tower was made in the General Body meeting and
the decision was taken after a consensus," he said. Bharat Shah, former
society member, who had signed the agreement with the company, said, "The
agreement was signed with the mobile tower only after a consensus. But our
society is not short of funds. In the past we have written to AMC and the
company to get the tower removed. We will write again if needed."
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