"New Delhi, Nov 28 (IBNS): The Indian Environment Ministry is examining a report by an expert committee that has studied the possible impacts of cell phone towers on wildlife including birds and bees. In a written reply to a question posed by lawmakers, Natarajan said that the Ministry had formed the expert committee on Aug 30 under the chairmanship of Dr Asad Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural History Society.

"Media reports have said that the environment and forests' ministry study has blamed electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from communication towers for the declining numbers of sparrows and bees.

"The study titled 'A possible impact of communication tower on wildlife birds and bees' said the radiation decreases egg production in the bees.

"It also added that in the case of honey bees, the group observed that high radiation resulted in an unusual phenomenon known as 'colony collapse disorder' which is characterized by sudden disappearance of a hive's inhabitants, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers behind.

"The vanished bees were never found. Also, the navigational skills of the bees were affected by high-tension lines . . ."

"India is one of the fastest growing mobile telephony industries in the world. It is estimated that by 2013, 1 billion plus people will be having cell phone connection in India. To support this growth of cell phone subscriber in the country, there has also been a tremendous growth of infrastructure in the form of mobile phone towers. Today, in absence of any policy on infrastructure development and location of cell phone towers, large numbers of mobile phone towers are being installed in a haphazard manner across urban and rural areas including other sparsely populated areas in India . . ."