No mobile towers atop houses in Punjab: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 3

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the installation of mobile phone towers atop residential buildings in Punjab holding that slapdash setting up of such towers might put lives and property of people in danger.

“As an interim measure, we direct that the state shall not allow installation of towers on the residential buildings till further orders…. This order is being passed in view of the fact that installation of towers in a haphazard manner may endanger lives and property of the people and would violate their rights under Article 21 of the Constitution,” said the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh. Taking on record certain photographs, the Bench also issued a notice of motion to the state and other respondents asking them to make it clear whether a uniform policy was being adopted across the state or stand-alone instructions had been given for a particular place.

“Due to wind velocity at times, there can be a danger of the tower being dislocated, thus endangering the lives of people,” the Bench said.

The directions came on a petition filed by Simarjeet Singh. Adjourning the matter for about a week, the Bench said the larger question before the court was as regards installation of towers on residential building.

The directions came eight years after a Division Bench of the HC in another matter asked the state to direct all municipal councils, corporations, etc., to make inoperative phone towers functioning from residential areas without following due norms.