New Delhi
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has identified 150 locations, in areas under its jurisdiction, where it will allow network service providers to set up “cellular towers on wheels”. While EDMC’s primary aim is to address issues of poor network connectivity, the civic body is also looking to earn an estimated ₹13 crore per year in the form of rent from the service providers, EDMC officials said.
Announcing this decision on Thursday, EDMC Commissioner Vikas Anand said that the towers will be installed in markets, parking areas and other public spaces.
He added, “This project has been in planning for a long time and has been previously implemented by the North and South civic bodies. Any service provider with a valid license, from the Ministry of Telecom, can apply for the establishment of these towers.”
The minimum monthly rental that the civic body will charge the telecom companies, for using spaces offered by it to install their mobile towers, will be ₹50,000 per month and the maximum will be calculated as per the actual area required by the telecom company and the service provider, Mr. Anand further added.
According to EDMC Mayor, Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, the civic body will earn close to ₹13 crore per year through this project.
“A total of eight towers were installed during the pilot phase of the project, which generated a total of ₹18 lakh in a month. So, this project is also a good boost in terms of revenue for us,” a senior EDMC official said.
‘Mixed feelings’
Residents in EDMC areas, while expressing concern about harmful radiation from such mobile towers, also acknowleded the poor network connectivity issues they face.
“I have switched my service provider multiple times and I can say that only one out of four of them provide decent connectivity. While the EDMC is confident that these towers can solve the issue, I am not sure whether it is safe to install these towers, given the radiation levels they emit,” a resident said.
BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi Resident Welfare Association’s Joint Front, said that the companies must take the RWAs into confidence and explain the “specifications of the towers”.
He added, “We need to be assured that it won’t cause any problems to the residents because they are unaware about this subject. I agree that network issues have only increased over the years but the RWAs have to be consulted.”
Earlier, residents living in areas governed by North and South municipal corporations had opposed the installation of the towers over similar reasons.
Responding to these observations, the senior EDMC official dismissed the speculation and said that service providers with a valid license will have to follow the guidelines issued by the telecom ministry.
He added, “Policies are in place to ensure that these towers don’t become health hazards. It is the people who complain about frequent call drops and network issues. These towers on wheels are a solution for them.”
