Bengaluru: No more cell towers in residential areas?

Bengaluru: Telecommunication towers in residential areas have been a bone of contention between tower companies and residents. Now the state urban development department has come out with new guidelines for setting up  telecommunication  towers. The highlight of the notification is that residential areas should be avoided wherever possible.

According to the notification, the location of telecommunication infrastructure towers is governed by a radio frequency system, which is why residential areas should be avoided. However, it does add, where it is not possible to avoid residential areas, permission from the sanctioning authority for installation on a building rooftop will be considered.

According to the notification, while setting up these telecommunication towers, first preference shall be given to the location in commercial areas or other public areas. In residential areas, the notification says that Telecommunication Infrastructure Towers shall be located in open spaces or community buildings in the locality.

There are several other conditions too. For instance, no telecommunication infrastructure towers shall be allowed in urban water bodies like rivers or ‘nalas’ or in the full tank level (FTL) of any lakes, ponds and kunta lands.

It also states that the distance between the Railway Property Boundary and the telecommunication infrastructure tower shall be a minimum of 3O meters. The Department also banned the construction of telecommunication towers inside any heritage or protected sites.

The Urban Development department has proposed Rs 50,000 as a one-time fee for setting up a telecommunication tower in Bengaluru city. In other corporation areas it will be Rs 40,000 per tower. In city muncipal council areas it is Rs 30,000. “ Rs 20,000 in town muncipal councils, Rs 15,000 in town panchayats and '10,000 in  villages,” stated the notification.

Other prescribed conditions include: ‘set back’ rooms , accessory rooms, lightning conductors, protection walls. Also, every telecommunication tower shall be provided with two Aviation Warning Lights (ANL). According to the officials at the department, new guidelines will be notified after considering all the objections raised by the general public.