"The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with a Rajasthan High Court order to the state government to remove mobile phone towers, suspected to be potential health hazards due to radiation from them, from near the schools, hospitals and densely populated localities.

"For the time being remove those towers from private and government schools. The order which benefits (the school children)... We will not interfere with it," said a bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad.

"It said such mobile towers have to be removed for the time being and perhaps the Centre too was looking into the matter since 2010 and a final decision has to be taken.

"Appearing for the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said there was no evidence to show harmful effects on human being because of radiation from mobile phone towers . . .

"He said if the radiation from towers was causing health hazards for people in Jaipur, the same should be for the entire country . . .

The lead-up to this situation in India is as follows:

IN INDIA, THEY'RE PULLING DOWN TOWERS NEAR KIDS, HOSPITALS--AND EVEN JAILS!
In the US, prisoners are fried 24/7 by EMF

200 mobile towers shut down, 35 lakh users hit

Jaipur: Private cellular phone operators shut down around 200 mobile towers across Rajasthan following Rajasthan High Court orders banning installation of towers on or in vicinity of schools, hospitals and jails.

The shutdown of the towers, which were functional in schools, would impact the cell phone service quality of 35 lakh users in 40 cities of state. "Around 25 lakh users would be affected by the decision to take down the towers in schools," Sudipto Choudhary, CEO Airtel, and Unnipam Krishnan, CEO Idea, told reporters in Jaipur, on Monday.

Mobile towers of seven companies Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, MTS, Tata Docomo and Idea would be removed from the schools, the Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI) announced in a joint address. BSNL users won't be affected by the decision.

Officials said the range of the call would be affected due to shortage of towers. It would take 30-90 days to replace the towers on "suitable buildings in city".

Mobile operators are planning to shutdown 500 additional towers located near jails and hospitals, in city.

The decision comes on heels of a high court order on August 31 instructing the cellular operators to remove mobile towers near schools, hospitals and jails within 15 days.

Cellular service providers said that in villages and small towns where a single tower is a being used to provide communications network, would face a complete breakdown in services if the said tower is selected for removal.

"Services will be hit in towns like Vajirpur, Anandpur, Raini, Chainpur, Chainpura, Shahpura, Hansalay, Saipura, Bhatubhai and around 40 villlages," a COAI said.