Incompetence in mobile tower radiation emission monitoring in Goa

Date: 7^th February 2018

To,

The Minister of Environment,

Government of Goa, Secretariat,

Porvorim, Goa

To,

The Principal Secretary

(Environment and Forest)

Secretariat, Panjim, Goa

To,

The Member Secretary

The Goa State Pollution Control Board, Panjim, Goa

To,

The Dy. Director General (Term Cell)

2^nd Floor, Khamla Telephone Exchange,

Khamal, Nagpur – 440 025

Subject: Incompetence in mobile tower radiation emission monitoring in Goa

Sirs,

We wish to bring to your attention complete lethargy in installing mobile tower radiation emissions in the State of Goa. As per the letter and its attachments to Bharat Mukti Morcha bearing no.10/1/16-PCB/Tech/1059 dated 12/09/2016 signed by Environmental Engineer of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Mr. Sanjeev Joglekar following facts are revealed:

1.      Our two complaints dated 30/07/2015 and 26/11/2015 signed by hundreds of people in Nauxim-Bambolim localities along with several others in Goa has been jointly sent to the Dy. Director General (Term Cell) at 2^nd floor, Khamla Telephone Exchange, Khamal, Nagpur 440025 vide letter dated 09/09/2016 bearing no10/01/16-PCB/Tech/10557 with a request to carry out EMR monitoring at various informed locations. Term Cell was also requested to intimate the board the date and time in advance so that the complainant can remain present during the inspection. In this regard we wish to let you know that so far we as complainant have not received any intimation of inspection by term cell of mobile towers in Bambolim – Nauxim localities. Moreover we wish to let you know that our verbal inquiry at the office of Goa State Pollution Control Board has confirmed that Term Cell has not contacted GSPCB to carry on any inspection of mobile towers in Goa. As a result our complaints have remained unattended for more than two years. And we are aware that mobile tower complaints to GSPCB are from as early as 2012.

2.      The decision to sent Goa Complaints to Term Cell to Nagpur has that of State level Telecom Committee meeting held on 20/07/2016 attended by the Chief Secretary R.K. Srivastava, Levinson Martins, Member –Secretary, Dr. Puttaraju, Chief Town Planner and representative from Department of Urban Development who name is not readable on the minutes copy provided to us. We ask as to why State Level Telecom Monitoring Committee has not followed up on this important matter of Public Health? Why entire population of Goa has been put into risk of radiation emitted from mobile towers?

In the light of the above we call upon you to do the following:

1.      Make all mobile towers in Nauxim – Bambolim locality and all over Goa dysfunctional till regular monitoring mechanism for radiation monitoring is installed in Goa as Term Cell located in Nagpur is not bothered about EMR monitoring in Goa.

2.      Install full fledged radiation monitoring system in Goa with public participation.

3.      In the event of failure to install full fledged radiation monitoring system in Goa stop mobile towers permanently and uproot existing mobile towers.

Kindly do the needful; act swiftly or else this lead to unpredictable irreversible and dangerous consequences to Public Health in Goa.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Maggie Silveira,

President, Goa State

Sanjay Pereira

Convener, Cacra unit  

Rohidas Andrade

Convener, Bambolim unit

Socorro Braganza

Convener, Siridao Unit

Anthony Cardozo

Convener, Curca Unit

Sitaram Pereira

Convener, Odxel Unit

Milind Palkar

Convener, Nauxi unit

Ms. Kalpana Diukar

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Chandrakant Lotlikar

Secretary, Siridao Unit

Hanuman Dias

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Honu Divkar,

Co-convener, Odxel Unit

Deu Kankonkar

Secretary, Nauxi Unit

Yeshwant Shirvoikar,

Co-convener, Odxel Unit

Manguesh Sawant,

Co-convener, Odxel unit

Amir Mardolkar,

Co-convener, Nauxim Unit

Francis Coelho,

Co-convener, Nauxim Unit

Ms. Jaya Kuttikar

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Jonu Shirvoikar,

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Ms. Sheila D’mello,

Co-convener, Cacra Unit

Ashok Kukalkar

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Ganashyam Diukar

Co-convenor, Odxel

Uttam Martins

C0-convener, Odxel Unit

Rohit Hadkonkar,

Co-convenor, Bambolim Unit

Sanju Diukar

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit,

Chandrakanth Rosario

Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Vijay Sawant

Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Ragunath Sautodkar

Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Mahadev Andre Rosario

Co-convenor, Nauxim Unit