Over 100 families in Bhagat Singh Nagar, Pettah, have appealed to the authorities concerned to stop the alleged unauthorised construction of a mobile transmission tower in the locality.
The work that was being undertaken by a private telecom operator was opposed by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which served a stop memo in December 2014 soon after the construction began. The telecom operator contested this and submitted an appeal to the Tribunal for Local Self-Government Institutions and the verdict is pending. However, work on the tower has continued in spite of repeated complaints to the police, the residents claimed.
The families, numbering 102, have submitted a mass-petition to the Chief Minister, District Collector and the Local Self-Government Department, among others, calling for effective measures against those involved in the illegal activity.
They alleged that the construction was undertaken without the approved plan or permit from the authorities concerned. It violated the provisions of the Kerala Municipality Building Rules, they said. The threat of radiation due to proximity to the transmission tower has raised apprehension among the residents.
One resident alleged that the police were turning a blind eye to the activity and this had enabled them to gradually execute the work without hindrance.
