PCMC to take action against unauthorized mobile towers

With the rise in the number of illegal hoardings in the city, unauthorized mobile towers have been erected on many buildings in urban areas by various telecom companies to provide services to citizens. Taking cognizance of the issue, Shekhar Singh, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner, has instructed these companies to conduct structural audits within 15 days. Singh further added that if these companies fail to conduct the audits a report will be sent to the state government for taking appropriate action.

A survey conducted by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) construction department has revealed a whooping 923 mobile towers in the city, with 533 authorized and 390 unauthorized.

The corporation does not take action on telecom companies due to various government policies. Additionally, the taxation department of PCMC does not tax these mobile towers as some companies have approached the court against the tax. As a result, companies are doing business worth crores by setting up unauthorized mobile towers.

Commissioner Singh discussed the issue of unauthorized mobile towers during a meeting. Singh said that the telecom companies are required to submit a structural stability certificate from a recognized engineer, along with necessary documents, within 15 days, and are expected to fulfill this deadline. He further added that if the telecom companies do not comply, a proposal will be prepared and sent to the state government to take action against the mobile tower considering the safety of the city dwellers and citizens. 

Chinchwad MLA Ashwini Jagtap raised the issue of structural audits for mobile towers in the PCMC jurisdiction during the assembly session. He highlighted that the Municipal Corporation’s policy mandates an audit by an approved structural engineer regarding the structural stability of the tower and building, along with necessary documents. The policy aims to audit these companies through structural engineers on the municipal level. However, mobile tower companies have not yet completed the audit. The Municipal Corporation has informed these companies to conduct a structural audit, but they have not yet done so.