The Lahore High Court has observed that the cellular companies should not be allowed to erect towers/antennas in residential areas.
Justice Syed Asghar Haider observed this while disposing of a petition of Pakistan Mobile Telecommunications Limited against the sealing of their two towers by District Officer Environment.
The judge directed the petitioner to approach the District Coordination Officer for the redressal of the grievance who shall decide the matter in 30 days.
The petitioner said that on May 19, the District Officer (Environment) stopped them from erecting the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) at Data Colony Faisalabad and Kot Lakhpat.
The petitioner pleaded that they were a company set up under the Companies Ordinance 1984 after obtaining a license from the government of Pakistan.
They added they have set up BTS throughout Pakistan with the permission of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Petitioner said when they were about to finish setting up their 22 meters high tower in Faisalabad and Kot Lakhpat, the DO (Environment) sealed the BTS as well as the equipment.
They argued that the principle of natural justice was not followed as the petitioner was not issued any prior notice.
They said the DO wrongly invoked section 12 of Environmental Act 1997 before sealing their equipment. They added the petitioner and other cellular companies had been in the business of setting up towers since 1992 whereas the Environmental Act came into existence in 1997.
They said the legislature had excluded the setting up of tower from the act. They added they were not required to file Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) unless the project was likely to cause an adverse environmental effect.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunication Limited in its report stated the towers/antennas might have some negative effect but their impact on human beings was not known.
The report also said that international bodies have recommended precautionary approaches and have set conservative limits for exposure to radiations.