JEDDAH: The setting up of mobile phone towers in residential areas is against the law, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said yesterday.
“The minister of municipal and rural affairs issued a circular five years ago, banning the installation of mobile phone towers or any other telecom receivers in residential neighborhoods,” it pointed out.
A study conducted by the society has found that telecom companies are failing to adhere to the regulation. “Contracts signed with telecom companies have ignored the regulation relating to mobile towers,” said Talal Qusti, head of the Environment and Safety Committee at the NSHR’s branch in the Makkah region.
Qusti further called on mobile phone companies to abide by the Telecom Law issued in 2001.
Citizens and residents are worried about the presence of such towers on their buildings and neighborhoods. Adel Matar, a Saudi Arabian Airlines employee, warned people about health hazards such towers pose. “They can, in the long run, even cause cancer.”
Bandar Bahubaishi, an engineer, urged authorities to conduct a scientific study on the effects of such towers. “There were press reports that the use of cell phones are harmful to people’s brains and ears. Since mobile towers send more powerful radioactive waves their effects on health would be more dangerous than cell phones,” he said, referring to high intensity radio frequency exposure. “Telecom companies have denied reports about the harmful effects of cell phones and their antennas. But we should not leave matters to rumors and assumptions and a scientific study should be conducted for the benefit of the public so that we do not regret later.”
Dr. Hamza Al-Masri, a dermatologist in Jeddah, said more studies were required on the effects of cell phones and mobile towers on public health. “We cannot say anything about the effects of mobile towers in the absence of a detailed study,” he added.
An official at Jeddah Municipality said some real estate owners had allowed telecom companies to install their antennas on the terraces of buildings without taking permission from the municipality.
