HC dismisses PIL against cell phone tower in Tiruvallur

CHENNAI: A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice T Raja and D Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against setting up of cell phone towers in Tiruvallur district.

Petitioner Udhayakumar from Tiruvallur moved the Madras High Court against the permission granted to set up a cell phone tower in the district. In his PIL he said that Reliance Company is planning to set up a cell phone tower in Purani Nagar, Tiruvallur which poses danger, as there are many children and elderly people living around the area, who would be affected by the cell phone radiation, if the tower is erected.

According to the petitioner, the district Collector did not take any action on his complaint. The petitioner claimed that the district administration granted permission to set - up a cell phone tower without holding a public consultation meeting and urged to ban the setting up of the cell phone tower violating court order.

Tiruvallur district administration counsel said a public consultation meeting was held to ask public opinion regarding the setting up of the cell phone tower, since no one objected, the permission being granted accordance with the guidelines of the court order.

After both the submissions High dismissed the PIL petition seeking ban against the setting up of a cell phone tower.