DEO Ahmedabad asks Schools to Remove Mobile Towers
The District Education Officer (DEO) in Ahmedabad has asked all schools to remove mobile towers within a month. The DEO had written to all schools in January, asking them to provide details of cellphone towers, terms of contract with mobile phone companies, payment and duration. Sources say there are more than 10 schools in the city that have mobile towers. However, only four schools have come forward with the details.
The state education department has intensified its drive against mobile towers atop school buildings. DEO asks schools to remove mobile towers from buildings in a month. Those who fail to comply with the order will have to forfeit their salaries. However, only four — Damubhai Shukla Madhyamik Shala in Paldi, Dr C G Higher Secondary School in Kubernagar, Sanket Gyansagar Vidyalay in Kubernagar and H B Vidyalaya in Gomtipur— have come forward with the details.
Damubhai Shukla Madhyamik Shala and Dr C G Higher Secondary School have given one month notice to the mobile service providers, asking them to remove the towers. The authorities of these two schools have submitted copies of these notices to the DEO’s office.
DEO R I Patel said, “Most schools run on grant disbursed by the education department. Yet, they allow mobile phone companies to install towers on their buildings to earn more money. This is against the rules. Also, the towers put the health of students at risk. We cannot allow anyone to play with the health of our young ones.”
He added, “Four schools have disclosed details of mobile towers. If other schools do not follow suit in a month, we will withhold salaries of their staff. We did not force action till now as it was exam time. As it is vacation time, we have asked schools to remove the towers.”
According to established norms, radiation level of 600 milliwatts per sq m is considered safe. But mobile phone towers emit electro magnetic rays above safety limit. Radiation from mobile towers poses grave health risks including memory loss, lack of concentration and digestive disturbances.
Kamal Shah, trustee of Damubhai Shukla Madhyamik Shala, said: “The management before us had signed an agreement with the mobile firm. We have asked them to remove the tower within a month. If they do not do so, we will dismantle it.”
However, the DEO does not have power over schools run by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Cellphone towers are installed at as many as 17 municipal schools in the city. Said S K Langa, Deputy Municipal Commissioner who heads the municipal school board, said: “We have not allowed towers in new schools. We will also remove existing towers from our schools soon.”
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