Cellphones are like Karna's 'kavacha kundala', says HC

CHENNAI: Making it clear that mobile phone towers cannot be installed without the prior approval from concerned authorities, including the local administration, the Madras high court has observed that authorities must take decision on such applications at the earliest, as mobiles today have become almost a part of the body, like the Kavacha Kundalam of Karna.
"We make it clear that 99% of the citizens are carrying cell phones with them and the cell phones have become not only a part of the life, but also part of the body (like the Kavacha Kundalam of Karna from Mahabharatha). Hence, we request the authorities to take a decision at the earliest point of time," a division bench of Justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan said.

The bench made the observation on a plea moved by Indus Towers Limited based in Chennai, seeking to forebear authorities concerned from restraining them from erecting mobile phone towers in Kancheepuram district. While disposing of a similar other plea moved by the company against the Coimbatore district administration, the bench observed that whether the radiation in the cell phones, causes health hazard or not, certainly, it causes harm to the family, as it distances them who are close-by.

Pointing out the advisory guidelines for the state government framed by the department of telecommunications for issuance of clearance certificate for installing such towers, the court said, "As the cell phone towers are going to be used for the purpose of making the citizens to use the cell phones, it is mandatory on the part of the petitioners to seek prior permission from the authorities concerned.

Without the permission from them, the petitioners cannot be permitted to operate the cell phone towers. However, it is mandatory that even before the installation, such permission has got to be granted."