ByNearly 50 families living in two buildings are up in arms against a mobile tower that has come up atop the BEST bus depot, which is in their vicinity.The 4G service planned by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has run into further trouble. Months after the company’s efforts to install telecom towers across the city were met with protests, two residential buildings in Colaba are resisting its bid to set up a tower atop a BEST bus depot.Residents of Jamuna Sagar and Jahangir Villa have sent a legal notice to the BMC commissioner and general manager of BEST, accusing the two bodies of playing with their health. The societies, home to about 50 families, have alleged that the telecom start-up is going ahead with towers without obtaining necessary approvals from various authorities.In 2014, the standing committee of the civic body had cleared a policy paving the way for Reliance Jio to erect towers at over 1,100 spots, including nearly 500 recreational grounds and playgrounds, in the city. But the move didn’t go down well with the citizens who hit the streets. They also challenged the policy in the Bombay High Court.Advocate Jay Bhatia of JKB Legal Attorneys, which is representing the Colaba residents, said, “We issued one notice to the BMC on November 4 and sent another copy on November 7. But we are yet to get any response.”BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said: “I receive thousands of complaints and applications every day. I need to check the papers before commenting anything on the matter. I will be able to do that after Diwali.”According to the notice, Jamuna Sagar and Jahangir Villa are in proximity to the Colaba bus depot where the mobile tower has allegedly come up. It says the residents are concerned about “serious health hazards due to such unregulated mobile towers constructed by flouting various regulations governing mobile base stations”.The notice goes on to say: “Not only in Colaba, but across the city of Mumbai, there are similar unauthorised mobile base stations/cell towers constructed without the relevant sanction of the planning authority.”The residents have claimed that the BMC had created a special cell to deal with 4G service providers seeking permission to install mobile towers. They have alleged that despite the cell having not given permission to any mobile tower or base stations, Reliance Jio has gone ahead on its own and erected towers.To bolster the Colaba residents’ claim, the notice cites reported action against Reliance Jio towers on Carter Road in Bandra and on the premises of Minoo Manor building in Cuffe Parade. It says the tower in Cuffe Parade was dismantled after the building residents moved the HC.While the Colaba residents have demanded removal of all ‘unauthorised’ mobile base stations/towers from private properties, they say action should be initiated against those public servants who facilitate setting up of these towers.Asif Zakaria, Congress corporator, told Mumbai Mirror, “I tried to reopen the entire policy to bring in more transparency in the Reliance 4G issue, but it was rejected. Now, the BMC should clarify how these towers are coming up on private buildings without proper approval by civic authorities.”Colaba corporator Makarand Narvekar said that RTI replies obtained by the building residents show that proper process were not followed by the BEST and BMC while granting NOC to Reliance Jio for the tower. “BEST has no answer on the mess they have done.”Jagdish More, GM of BEST, said: “I can’t tell you if the work done by Reliance Jio is legal or not without going through the concern papers.”A Reliance Jio spokesperson termed the work at Colaba site evaluation and mobilization and claimed that so far no tower is erected at Colaba. He said: “We, as a responsible corporate citizen, follow government’s stringent norms and guidelines, and take all necessary approvals from various civic agencies and other concerned authorities, for installation of towers. All towers in Mumbai have been erected & in future will be erected as per approved policies and guidelines of DOT and policies, guidelines & approvals of MCGM and local authorities including at the location mentioned in your query.”Pic: The 4G tower on BEST’s Colaba bus depot. The residents say it will put their health at great risk