Mumbai: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken cognizance of two complaints regarding the illegal installation of mobile towers on the terraces of two separate co-operative housing societies in Sewri. The commission has stated that it requires clarification from mobile network providers regarding the rules and provisions governing such installations.
Both cases, highlighting the same issue of unauthorized mobile tower installations, were filed with the SHRC in 2019. The complaints alleged that Vodafone had illegally installed mobile towers on the terraces of Shivshankar Co-operative Housing Society, Mazgaon, and Raza Co-operative Housing Society, Sewri.
Free Press Journal spoke to the complainant, Mohammed Naeem Shaikh, who, in 2019, was serving as the National President of the AIM Political Party (APP).
The complaint copy reads, “It has been learned through reliable sources that five large mobile towers have been installed on the terrace of Shivshankar CHS, allegedly by the chairman, general secretary, and treasurer of the society. The radiation from these towers is extremely harmful and has already affected a top-floor resident, who has been diagnosed with life-threatening cancer.”
After reviewing the complaints, the SHRC directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to submit details regarding the rules and provisions related to the installation of mobile towers on housing society terraces.
The SHRC has also asked the BMC to specify the penal provisions applicable in cases of non-compliance with government guidelines. The BMC has been further instructed to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a fact-finding report on the complaint by May 28.
