Team Herald
PANJIM: Declaring the 4G WiFi towers erected by Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio across the State as illegal, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to the company directing it to close or suspend the mobile tower operation within a fortnight.
The show cause notice issued under section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to the company’s management asks “why action under the Air Act should not be initiated against your unit for operating without Consent to Operate of the Board”. The company has been directed to submit a compliance report within 15 days, failing which the Board will be forced to initiate legal action against the company.
GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said the Board observed that the company has erected WiFi towers at several places across the State without obtaining the board’s Consent to Operate.
“Accordingly, we have directed the company to close or suspend the operation of their mobile towers within 15 days till such time as they obtain Consent to Operate of the Board as required under the Air Act,” Noronha said.
“Failure to comply with the directions will compel the Board to initiate stringent legal action under provisions of the Air Act without any further notice which include filing prosecution before the appropriate court of law,” the show cause notice reads. The Board on Tuesday issued show cause notices to three government departments – PWD, Directorate of Panchayat and Electricity department, as well as all the service providers of mobile and WiFi services, stating that no WiFi tower or antenna would be allowed without their consent.
PWD has approved 45 locations along the National Highways passing through Goa, covering 29 village panchayats, while Panchayat department has granted NOC to build 4G WiFi towers of Reliance in 120 locations in 61 VPs on the internal roads.
