The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) is in no mood to lift ban on NOCs and install cell phone towers in residential and commercial localities as no new mobile tower called the Base Trans-Receiver Station (BTS) has been installed.
The ban had come into effect in January 2009 when former DCO Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta shifted powers of issuing NOC for mobile towers from Town Municipal Officers (TMOs) to DCO office.
The move was stirred after collapse of local company tower providing internet service in GOR-V Faisal Town. Another reason was the court trial in which Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) summoned the district coordination officer (DCO), City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and Environment Protection Department (EPD) officials to inform the court under which installation of mobile towers was allowed in residential areas in 2009.
According to the CDGL Environment Department, there are over 4,000 mobile towers located in different parts of the city and further installation will not be allowed unless they meet the criteria laid by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
“We had already stopped issuing No Objection Certificate for installation of BTS since the change of powers,” PSO to DCO Tariq Zaman told Pakistan Today, . He said over 200 applications to install mobile towers were pending in the office of DCO as they did not meet specific rules and regulation set by PTA.
He said preference for NOCs will be given to companies which try to share the towers wherever possible, keeping in view all the technical aspects and rules. “We are not against the industry and any company. Those companies which meet rules laid down by PTA will be allowed to install mobile tower,” he added.
A mobile company representative has termed the ban illogical and unwise. He said the situation will be a big blow for the telecom industry as it will dampen growth of telecom sector. “This will be a dark period of the telecom sector that attracted foreign direct investment of $9.0 billion, amounting to 46 percent of country’s total FDI in the last three years,” he added.
He said major telecom companies of Pakistan had expressed commitment to jointly invest at least $1.0 billion in the country (40 percent for Lahore) in infrastructure, capital expenditure and technology in the next fiscal year.
Zafar Abdullah, another representative of a mobile company, said robust installation of mobile phone towers, once witnessed boom over the last 10 years, has reached a complete halt as no mobile phone tower could be installed since January 2009.
As per rules laid by the PTA, all cellular companies desirous to install BTS towers or antennas need to submit documents to DCO regarding site plan of the proposed site and site details.
Companies also need to present structural stability certificate from a qualified structural engineer or engineering company registered with the Pakistan engineering council and countersigned by the concerned director of the mobile company.
Companies must also submit an NOC from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) wherever required, affidavit from the concerned owner of the property, detailed design of the tower and ownership proof. They are also required to present a NOC from environmental protection authority or district officer environment for that particular location.
According to rules, concerned director of the mobile company must furnish an affidavit stating “in case of any loss of life or property, the concerned cellular company will be bound to pay Rs 0.2 million to each victim and make good any damage to any property.”
Rules said the area approved for installation of BTS towers should be maintained and beautified by the concerned company to create environmental friendly atmosphere. They said security of BTS towers in all respects will be responsibility of the concerned cellular company. In case the site is acquired by any government agency for development activity in public interest, the removable structure will be removed by the cellular company at its own risk and cost. However, compensation of land and permanent structures will be regulated according to relevant provisions of law. Permission to install tower will be valid for 10 years and will be renewable for equal terms after due inspection by the concerned local government authority.
Rules also said that approval for construction of towers or antennas will be subject to permission of the district committee, headed by the DCO. Moreover, Divisional Commissioners will review performance of the district committee while the Provisional Coordination Committee will also monitor performance of district committees.
City govt in no mood to install cell phone towers
