Reported by International – The News By Akhtar Amin
On January 24, 2019, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove 20 mobile phone base transmission towers and microwave antennas from residential areas due to the risk of hazardous radiation causing serious diseases and health problems.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Abdul Shakoor instructed the EPA Director-General, Dr Bashir Khan, to issue removal notices to the relevant companies and complete the process within one month.
The EPA report showed that out of 366 towers in the city, 20 were installed less than 25 feet from residential areas, which violates international standards. The EPA noted that 55 towers were near mosques, 46 near schools, and 195 near residential areas. Most towers predated 2009, when no NOC (No-Objection Certificate) was required; stricter regulations came into effect afterward.
Lawyers for the telecom companies argued that residential areas did not exist when the towers were installed and requested protection for the towers. The court rejected these arguments, emphasising the need to protect human life. PHC had also previously stayed installation of new towers near schools, hospitals, and densely populated areas until further notice.