6,000 cellphone towers in Hyderabad found to be illegal

Hyderabad: Around 6,000 cellphone towers installed in the GHMC?area have been declared illegal. The HC had made it mandatory for all cellphone companies to seek the permission of civic authorities before putting up towers and to pay property tax.

The GHMC on December 12 disconnected power supply to 245 unauthorised cellphone towers. However D. Ronald Rose, additional commissioner (Planning, GHMC), on Monday said that GHMC had restored 245 disconnected electricity connections with a direction to pay the installation charges to GHMC by December 18. The GHMC has issued notices to all operators to get the towers approved within three working days.

“Apart from enforcing guidelines, a fee of RS 1 lakh would be collected from cell operators for each tower. Only then will they be regularised,” said D. Ronald Rose.

There are around 7,500 cell towers in the city. While some operators had taken permission from GHMC?before installing these towers, some had not. In many cases, those who notified the GHMC, submitted only the structural stability certificate, but did not pay the fees.

As per new norms, the cell phone operators have to submit location plan, site plan, elevation plan, structural stability certificates from IITs, NITs, and other engineering colleges approved by the AICTE or structural engineers of government departments.

They must also submit building sanction copy, ownership documents of the building, lease agreements, height of the towers, NoCs from the fire department, the Airports Authority and building owners.

Towers will not be allowed in parks, play grounds, and full tank levels (FTL) of water bodies. Similarly, no cell tower would be allowed within 100 metres of schools. and hospitals. heritage and religious buildings and boundary of rivers outside the corporation, municipality and nagar panchayats.