Govt Silent On Regularising Mobile Towers

[savramesh 37]

Times of India

8 Jun 2009, 0345 hrs IST

CHENNAI: Towers of mobile service providers continue to sprout on building terraces in the city but the authorities, it seems, are not too keen on regularising them. Five months ago, the elected council of the corporation approved a proposal for a new taxation for buildings with towers but there has been no official announcement so far.

The corporation does not even have a list of the mobile towers in the city. A senior official seeking anonymity said that Vodafone (712, Aircel (502) and Tata Indicom (83) had submitted their lists while BSNL, Airtel and Reliance were yet to to do so. Neither the corporation nor the Public Works Department has the statutory powers to issue stability certificate for buildings with towers.

In January councillors raised queries on the stability of these buildings in the council. Congress floor leader Saidai P Ravi had alleged that the building owners and service providers did not abide by the rules in installing such towers in high-rise structures. "There is a need to instill a fear among the stakeholders by imposing restrictions. We want the government to act swiftly," he had added.

Earlier, service providers along with local "mediators" got in touch with building owners for installaing their towers. Now, building owners have started offering their terraces and other property for mobile towers on rent. The rental websites are testimony to this.

R Mohan Kumar of Anna Nagar said his spacious terrace needed to be put to better use. "My friend in Villivakkam rented out his terrace for a mobile service provider to put up its tower. If he manages to get Rs 15,000 per month without any hassle why shouldn't I?" he said. Mohan Kumar is keen on getting Rs 15,000-Rs 30,000 from a telecom major that wants to better its network coverage. Neither he nor his friend is aware of the need for a stability soundness certificate.

Worse, the corporation officials are not sure of their role in regularising the towers in their jurisdiction. When Karu Annamalai and M Vijayakumar of Mullai Street in M G R Nagar registered went to the local junior engineer a few days ago about the encroachment by their neighbour who had dug up part of the road for a chamber for a combined earthing system, the officer pleaded ignorance. Also, he did not turn up to see the "construction" on the road. "Whom should we approach for filing complaints on cell towers?" the residents sad.

[savramesh 37]

PCNTDA starts drive against unauthorised mobile towers

Times of india

12 Jun 2009, 0303 hrs IST, TNN

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority(PCNTDA) has launched a drive to dismantle unauthorised mobile towers within its limit.

The PCNTDA administration had recently issued notices to around 25 persons who own buildings/plots where unauthorised mobile towers have been installed. One such tower has already been dismantled.

Murlidhar Vedpathak, the PCNTDA's administrative officer, said, "Many people residing in the PCNTDA limits have installed mobile towers in their plots without seeking our permission. We had received complaints from the local residents about a mobile tower being set up at Plot No. 79 in Sector 16. The locals had objected to the erection of the tower in the area. We sent a stop-work notice to the plot owner. But despite the notice, the construction continued and was completed on Saturday. The plot owner claimed that the mobile company had obtained permission for constructing the tower.''

According to Vedpathak, the PCNTDA had not given the permission to set up the tower. And it was removed in three days. The expenses for dismantling the tower will be recovered from the owner, he said.

On the mushrooming of unauthorised mobile towers, Vedpathak said,

"The owners of the building or plot get high rentals from the telecom companies. And these companies are also on the lookout for places to set up towers for increasing their connectivity. In some cases, the owners have sought our permission, but even before getting out nod, they have installed the towers."

According to a survey conducted by the PCNTDA, there are around 40 to 45 unauthorised towers in its limits. We have sent notices to 25 plot/building owners after receiving complaints from the public," said Vedpathak.

The PCNTDA has warned that the power supply to the plots or buildings with unauthorised towers would be disconnected. The PCNTDA is planning to send a letter to the MSEDCL in this regard.

The PCNTDA has given one-month time for dismantling the unauthorised towers. If the towers are not removed within this period, the PCNTDA will remove them. And the expenses incurred, including dismantling cost, police bandobast and transportation of debris, will be recovered from the owner, the notice states.

[Karthik R 246]

'Diesel used for telecom towers causing Rs 2.6Kcr loss to govt'

New Delhi : Global NGO Greenpeace today said diesel consumed by telecom companies for providing power at telecom towers is causing an estimated loss of Rs 2,600 crore annually to the government in form of subsidy.

"For telecom operators, there is a robust case to switch to renewable energy. The government should not give subsidy to telecom companies on diesel. Subsidy makes sense if it is given to poor people of the country," Abhishek Pratap, Senior Campaigner, Climate and Energy, Greenpeace India said.

The report released by the NGO is based on research over information available in public domain.

It says at current growth rates, the sector would require 26 billion kilowatt of electricity and 3 billion litres of diesel by 2012 which will enhance carbon emission from the country to significant level.

Subsidy of Rs 7 to Rs 11 per litre on diesel reduces the cost of the fuel by around 21 per cent, allowing it to be sold at a lower price primarily for the transportation of essential goods, public transport and agriculture.

Due to absence of duel or differential pricing of diesel fuel for industry, telecom sector aggressively exploited as sector consumption of diesel grown to 300 crore litres by FY11-end, the report said.

Climate and Energy campaigner of Greenpeace Mrinmoy Chattoraj said the telecom sector can become a transformative force by adopting renewable energy for their business operations and advocating economy wide climate and energy solutions.

"The telecom sector is well positioned to transit to a low-carbon growth trajectory. They must use their influence to promote policies that will allow them to grow responsibly without helping to fuel climate change," Chattaraj said.

Greenpeace estimated that shift in power sourcing to renewable technologies, such as solar photo-voltaic, will result in a close to 300 per cent reduction in total costs for telecom operators, in comparison to a diesel generator (DG) based tower over 10 years.

Pratap said telecom sector spend Rs 12,600 crore annually on diesel fuel and on removing subsidy of 21 per cent from diesel cost of diesel fuel for telecom sector would go to Rs 15,200 crore annually.

"The 10 years expenses of telecom companies on diesel is equivalent to the cost of powering 5 lakh telecom towers by solar energy solutions," Pratap said.

The report estimates investment of Rs 1,51,000 crore will be need to power the entire telecom towers in the country.

Pratap also charged Indian telecom companies of hiding facts on their carbon emission footprint.

Via : Economic Times