NEMC halts construction of phone towers

The National Environment Management Council (NEMC) has called for suspension of ongoing construction of telecommunication towers which lack in-depth research on health risks they pose to people and the environment. The mobile phone companies should also draw defensive mechanisms in case of accidents as the law requires. According to NEMC Director General Mr. Bonaventure Baya the mushrooming of the towers in the country, has sparked fears and complaints over dangerous effects to both humans and the environment. The council has urged mobile phone companies to conduct research on effects of telecommunication towers before they erect them in residential areas. Telecommunication companies have to involve people and local government authorities in the ordered research on the towers and findings be forwarded to NEMC in order to clear people’s doubts. Since December 2007 to date, NEMC had received several complaints from Tabata Kimanga on Tigo towers, Msasani against Excellent Communications, Kimara Baruti against Zain, Kimara against Vodacom, Kijitonyama against Tigo and Magomeni against Zain. This comes amid complaints from the public living near phone towers that they are dangerous as they produce radio active rays which can cause serious diseases like cancer, and noise they produce as a result of their generators operating for 24 hours. "The complaints are a results of unplanned erection of phone towers which has become a source of disturbance and rising fears by people. According to the law, telecommunication companies are supposed to conduct investigations before they embark on building towers in order to detect the possible environmental effects. NEMC in collaboration with TCRA, Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, local governments and other stakeholders plan to set up standards on how to operate telecommunications towers in order to develop the sector.