PESHAWAR: The mobile phone companies have removed 20 base transceiver stations (BTS) from Peshawar in line with the court’s orders over threats to human health, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told the Peshawar High Court.

A bench consisting of Justice Qaiser Rasheed and Justice Abdul Shakoor Khan decided that it would examine the EPA report about compliance by cellular phone companies with an earlier court order regarding the hazardous BTS on the next hearing i.e. Feb 22.

In a petition, resident Mohammad Naeem claimed that BTSs put up in the city adversely affected human health.

He requested the court to ask respondents, including Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa EPA, KP government through environment secretary and heads of different cellular phone companies, to avoid installation of BTS and microwave antennas in sensitive areas situated around schools, hospitals, parks and populated areas.

He has also requested the court to issue direction to the relevant respondents to protect the general public from the hazards of environmental pollution due to these BTS by implementing the zoning laws made for environmental protection.

PHC to examine EPA report on Feb 22

He further sought direction from the court to the respondent to implement international conventions and policies for the protection of environment from the radiations emitted from the BTS and microwave antennas.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Noor Alam Khan, didn’t turn up due to the ongoing strike of lawyers in the province.

PTA assistant director (legal) Jawad Akhtar and additional advocate general Syed Sikandar Shah appeared before the bench.

Last year, the bench had directed EPA director general Dr Mohammad Bashir to issue notices to the relevant cellular phone companies to remove 20 phone towers.

The bench had issued the order after the director general submitted an initial report on the directives of the court about the presence of BTSs near educational institutions, health centres, mosques and residential areas in the provincial capital.

A deputy director of EPA on Thursday submitted a report in light of reports provided by different cellular phone companies about 20 phone towers.

Justice Qaiser Rasheed observed that schools and mosques were more important to them then phone towers.

The judge observed that the court won’t allow the use of towers, which were hazardous to human health.

Last year, the EPA had informed the court that it had completed a survey of 366 mobile towers and 20 of them didn’t meet international standards for being within 24 feet or eight meters distance from the population and emitting hazardous radiations.

The EPA had said most towers in residential areas were installed before 2009 as until then, the no objection certificate condition didn’t exist for cellular phone companies.

It added that after 2009, it had become mandatory for the companies to get NOC from EPA before putting up a BTS, while the agency had enforced strict regulations in that respect.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020