Panaji: Taking a critical view to the "common practice" of opposing mobile towers being witnessed in the state, chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the general perspective in Goa that mobile towers make people prone to cancer was hindering the establishment of good network connectivity.
"We want proper network, but we don't want a tower in our backyard. This over sensitivity has crept into Goans," Parrikar said. He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Panaji.
Over the years, there has been opposition to mobile towers in parts of Goa with the issue having been raised at various gram sabhas across the state. A few months ago, many panchayats across Salcete opposed the setting up of mobile towers in Navelim, Dramapur and Chinchinim, among others.
Earlier in the day, the CM, while speaking at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, urged the scientific community to educate Goans about the issue. "What they fail to understand is that particular levels of radiation are considered safe. Such scientific knowledge needs to be properly understood by Goans," he said.
For the BRICS summit held in Goa in October last year, the government had told coastal village panchayats in South Goa that mobile towers will be temporarily erected for the duration of the event. However, in November this year, villagers questioned the Colva panchayat as to why those towers were not removed a year after the summit.
"BRICS was an excuse to give back door entry to service providers to erect their towers in our village. We have been opposing it for almost a year. We want the authorities to take appropriate measures to demolish it. There is no mechanism to measure radiation levels. How can the CM be sure that the radiation levels are within permissible limits?" Colva resident Shakuntala Mesquita said.
Navelim-resident Siddarth Karapurkar said there is general apprehension with regards to health implications of exposure to mobile tower radiation which is rumoured to lead to cancer and other ailments.
A similar mindset is prevalent in areas of Bardez and Tiswadi.
"People are worried about the radiation. They need to be educated about the advantages and disadvantages of installing the towers since all are not necessarily cancer-causing," deputy sarpanch of Tivim panchayat Shiva Kambli said, adding that in the past villagers have stopped service providers who have tried to install towers without permission.
"We want proper network, but we don't want a tower in our backyard. This over sensitivity has crept into Goans," Parrikar said. He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Panaji.
Over the years, there has been opposition to mobile towers in parts of Goa with the issue having been raised at various gram sabhas across the state. A few months ago, many panchayats across Salcete opposed the setting up of mobile towers in Navelim, Dramapur and Chinchinim, among others.
Earlier in the day, the CM, while speaking at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, urged the scientific community to educate Goans about the issue. "What they fail to understand is that particular levels of radiation are considered safe. Such scientific knowledge needs to be properly understood by Goans," he said.
For the BRICS summit held in Goa in October last year, the government had told coastal village panchayats in South Goa that mobile towers will be temporarily erected for the duration of the event. However, in November this year, villagers questioned the Colva panchayat as to why those towers were not removed a year after the summit.
"BRICS was an excuse to give back door entry to service providers to erect their towers in our village. We have been opposing it for almost a year. We want the authorities to take appropriate measures to demolish it. There is no mechanism to measure radiation levels. How can the CM be sure that the radiation levels are within permissible limits?" Colva resident Shakuntala Mesquita said.
Navelim-resident Siddarth Karapurkar said there is general apprehension with regards to health implications of exposure to mobile tower radiation which is rumoured to lead to cancer and other ailments.
A similar mindset is prevalent in areas of Bardez and Tiswadi.
"People are worried about the radiation. They need to be educated about the advantages and disadvantages of installing the towers since all are not necessarily cancer-causing," deputy sarpanch of Tivim panchayat Shiva Kambli said, adding that in the past villagers have stopped service providers who have tried to install towers without permission.
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