COIMBATORE: While

radiation has always been a point of contention among scientists, residents and cellular operators, the release of the Rajinikanth-starrer “2.0” a month ago seems to have reminded the residents of the issues a mobile tower could bring.

A group of residents from Ganapathy approached the district collectorate complaining about a mobile tower that a private company began erecting on Saturday. They said they had not been consulted before the tower was erected.

While the recent “2.0” blamed radiation emitted by mobile phones as the reason for birds disappearing, residents said the tower could cause cancer among them and even affect fetuses.

Around 30 residents from Nanjappa Layout in Ganapathy petitioned the district collector against a mobile tower that was being erected in their area.

“A resident of Kasthuribai Street has permitted a private company to set up a mobile phone tower atop his terrace,” said M Ramesh, a resident in the area.

“Neither the private company nor the house owner bothered getting our consent. They technically require a permission from the corporation, but we do not know how the civic body could have given a no objection certificate without our permission,” said another resident, N Karthik. The erection process began on Saturday.

Residents say the private company had approached other house owners a few months ago, but they refused keeping in mind the health hazards it poses.

“The radiation from cellphone towers is said to cause cancer. Our layout has 1,500 residents including children, senior citizens and even pregnant women,” said another resident, Aakash.

“In our area now, there are no mobile towers within a 1 km radius, except BSNL’s which is in their office compound,” said Ramesh.

The department of telecom has set the exposure limits for radio frequency at 0.92 watt per square metre. However, many activists say that many cellular operators do not stick to those limits. This has prompted DOT to launch Tarang Sanchar, a portal where people can request for measurement of electro magnetic radiation levels of a specific mobile tower.

Whether EMFs pose a health hazard is a debate. While IIT Bombay scientist sad living within 50 metre of a mobile tower is like living in a microwave, WHO said radiation “could be” carcinogenic.

However, except a few residents claiming they developed brain cancer due to a mobile tower near their house or workplace, there is still no conclusive evidence of whether mobile tower radiation causes cancer.