ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said on Tuesday that steps were being taken to minimise any health risks posed by telecom towers and antennas installed in thickly populated areas.

"The government understands public concern regarding health hazards posed by rapidly growing telecom infrastructure," he said while delivering a keynote address at a national seminar on "Cellular infrastructure: a socially responsible approach". The minister urged telecom operators to develop and implement internationally accepted processes to ensure public safety risked by radiation exposure to telecom towers and antennas installed in built-up areas.

He pointed out that his ministry, in consultation with stakeholders and relevant ministries, had conducted an extensive study to analyze the extent of radiation hazards from telecom base stations in the light of international research and recommendations of standards bodies like American National Standards Institute, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and International Council for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.

He said that while the bulk of research study on the subject was inconclusive, findings of some research studies indicating probability of some negative effects mainly on human well-being, had led the international standard bodies to recommend precautionary approaches and set conservative limits for exposure to radiation.

He said the government, following consultation with the stakeholders and industry, had decided to adopt as national policy standards the guidelines of international bodies.

"These guidelines set conservative limits on public and occupational exposure resulting from radiation due to base station antennas, he said.

Mr Leghari said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had been given the task of ensuring compliance with these national safety guidelines. "PTA will also ensure that radiation-related information on towers and BTSs is posted on its website, is readily accessible, easily interpretable by members of the public and kept up-to-date," he said.

He said he believed that the financial impact of these guidelines and standards on operators would be minimal in terms of relocations required. It was estimated that only about three per cent of antenna sites currently commissioned would have to be redesigned or improved, he said.