DUBAI - Parents of students of a school in Springs yesterday started an online petition and a signature campaign against a telecom operator, which has put up a mobile base station very close to the school premises.
Over 150 parents of the Dubai British School (DBS) signed a petition against du, claiming that the electromagnetic radiation from the mobile mast could pose serious health risks to their children.
“du do the right thing and move your telephone mast away from our school - that is our message to them,” a parent told Khaleej Times.
“We are having an online petition on expatmum.com and many parents have signed up protesting against the mast. We might even put up the petitions in shopping centres soon,” she added.
“I am extremely upset and worried about it. We do not know the exact health risks the radiation could pose but have heard that it may even cause leukaemia. Why can’t they put it up anywhere else?” demanded another parent.
The mast was apparently erected a few weeks back near the school premises without the knowledge of the school authorities and when the children were away on holidays. The mast, in the guise of a palm tree, is close to the Foundation School. The parents also allege that there are at least five telephone masts of the operator within a five-kilometre radius of the school.
Peter Moore, head of Primary at DBS, noted that while it affected the entire school, it was closest to the Foundation School, where over 125 children, aged between three and five, studied.
“Our kids spend over 30 hours a week close to the mast. du has said they would meet with us. There is no conclusive evidence to say the mast is safe. These are very small children, who are still growing. Why take the risk?” he asked.
du told KT that its CEO, Osman Sultan, would be personally visiting the school to discuss this further. In a statement to the newspaper, the mobile operator said, “We fully understand the anxiety of the parents of the children studying in the school and we will be delighted to have an opportunity to meet them and explain why we are convinced that our base station in the vicinity of the school does not pose a health hazard.”
The statement added that its mobile base stations have been erected and commissioned in accordance with international best practices and standards and only after getting adequate permits from relevant government agencies, including the municipalities concerned.
By Preeti Kannan (Our staff reporter)