The Hindu : New Delhi News : Guidelines on telecom towers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 11, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Guidelines on telecom towers

By Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI, OCT. 10. Aimed at saving the heritage and aesthetic aspects of Lutyens' Delhi, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has come out with guidelines for installation of communication towers by cellular and basic telecom operators within the area under its jurisdiction. The guidelines will ensure that communication towers do not congest the skyline of the New Delhi area and penalise those breaking the laid norms.

The need for the guidelines, that came into effect on October 1 this year was felt when a large number of communication towers started coming up all over Lutyens' Delhi as well as in all prominent market places like Connaught Place, Khan Market, Bengali Market and Yashwant Place that not only caused security threat to residents because of its huge size but also alarmed conservationists and citizens who thought that they were making the VVIP New Delhi area and its skyline ugly.

The guidelines, framed after a series of meetings between senior NDMC officials and representatives from cellular and basic telecom operators, states that installation of towers or antennae "shall not in any manner disturb the heritage and aesthetic aspects of the New Delhi area. All norms and guidelines related to the Lutyens Bungalow Zone area issued from time to time by the Government of India shall be complied".

Noting that the installation of towers shall not violate the provisions of the NDMC Act, 1994 and byelaws, the guidelines states that all towers shall be located at the rear end of a plot and shall not be visible from the main entrance or road. Similarly, no towers shall be allowed within the Central Vista. All operators will have to apply for permission to the Chief Architect, Department of Architecture and Environs, NDMC.

The Council will charge one-time permission fee of Rs.2 lakhs while a monthly licence fee of Rs.25 per sq.ft. per month, subject to a minimum of Rs.25,000, will also have to be paid.

"In case there is a technological requirement for installations on buildings located in the Central Vista, the matter shall be referred to a Committee chaired by Chairperson, NDMC, with members to be co-opted from the Central Vista Committee. Department of Telecom and Ministry of Home Affairs shall decide the issue on case to case basis."

Stating that towers should not be allowed on the campus of NDMC schools or hospitals, the guidelines says the multiplicity of towers shall be avoided and the use of existing towers optimised by accommodating at least four antennae for which they are designed.

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