Avoid excessive mobile usage

In spite of repeated news appearing in World Wide Web and in newspapers, little attention is paid to the harmful effects of the radiation emitted by the mobile phones and the cell towers. One can see that the lifestyle change has resulted in usage of mobile phones by almost everybody (2 out of 4) and the children are fascinated by the mobiles. Parents give the mobiles in small children’s hand as a toy, and to school going children as a status symbol.

The radiation levels reported in one of the news papers, Mumbai Mirror, are quite high in many places in Mumbai city and needs urgent response from the government. The radiation dose received depends on the period of exposure. Less time you spend talking, lower is the dose received from the mobile.

A landmark research study carried out in US and Denmark into the use of handsets which may have major public health implications, showed health effects in the children whose mothers have used mobile phones when they were pregnant. The researchers surveyed 13,000 children and found that even less frequent usage was sufficient to increase the health risk to the children.

There is a need for strict regulation to ensure that the manufacturers of the mobile phones and the service providers maintain the radiation emission levels much lower than the stipulated standards. Base stations/towers near schools and crowded areas should be avoided. There should be a dedicated regulatory body for strict regulation of the mobile phone usage. The regulators should also look into the safety of erecting antenna on the residential building tops. The RF radiation levels should periodically monitored in city areas, and around schools. The readings should be displayed for public knowledge and for checking compliance with the set limits by regulators.