New Delhi, Jan 19: Delhi government has decided to make it mandatory for all cellphones sold in the capital to prominently display radiation emission tags to forewarn consumers about the health hazards posed by different handsets.
At a meeting of officials from the state health department, Indian Council of Medical Research, Jawaharlal Nehru University and World Health Organisation here on Wednesday, it was decided to introduce stringent norms for cellphones, reports Mail Today.
The meeting asked the Centre to help frame stringent rules for radiation being emitted from mushrooming cellphone towers throughout the capital.
Delhi Health Minister Dr A K Walia said, the Centre has already given detailed guidelines on electromagnetic field radiation prepared by an inter-ministerial committee and specific guidelines for Delhi will be prepared in the coming weeks.
There have been a large number of complaints from residents about emission of radiation from mushrooming cellphone towers in Delhi, with each locality having more than 5 or 7 such towers.
Experts have cited studies to say that cellphone tower radiations can cause cancer and other health related problems. But there are counter reports from the cellphone lobby to say that there is no connection between cellphone radiation and human health, said Dr Walia.
There are more than 5,000 cellphone towers spread all over Delhi. Most of these are located in densely populated areas.
Dr Walia had this to offer to Delhites as precautionary measures: (a) use landlines instead of cellphones when not on the move, (b) use headphones or cellphone speaker to keep the handset away from your head, (c) use SMS more instead of making calls, (d) keep handsets away from your body, at least 5 feet, while sleeping at night.
The inter-ministerial committee on electromagnetic radiation has set the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) level for cellphone handsets at less than 1.6 watt per kg over a six minute period, and taken over a volume containing a mass of 1 gram of human tissue.
The panel recommends display of SAR level on handsets, SAR level for handsets to be limited to 1.6 watt/kg average over a 6-minute period and list of SAR values for handsets to be uploaded on the DOT/TEC website.
Experts say India's hot tropical climate, low body mass index of Indians as compared to Europians and high concentration of radio frequency radiation may place Indians under a higher risk.
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