The order of the Supreme Court shutting down a BSNL mobile tower after a 42-year-old domestic help claimed that electromagnetic radiation had given him cancer is a huge blow to mobile telephony, the fastest growing industry. The case could open up a Pandora’s Box because it will give fillip to all those who harbor the same suspicions. The movement against erection of cell towers has being going on ever since mobile phones made their appearance in large numbers. India has about 12 lakh mobile towers of which 3.3 lakh have been tested and only 212 were found exceeding the radiation limits. Radiation from cell towers in India is far lower than in the west and that is because of the stringent standards set by the Department of Telecommunications. A link between cell tower radiation and cancer is yet to be established and even the World Health Organisation has classified this type of radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, which means the link is too weak. However, long-term use of mobile phones is still a subject for research. While the debate has been raging in India, no one has produced sufficient evidence to prove that these radiations cause cancer. But the Supreme Court order changes all that because from now on its order will be the basis for all other litigation.
