Parents’ protest: mobile mast makes waves

The Dubai British School (DBS) has lodged a complaint with du for erecting a disguised mobile mast next to the school’s primary unit.

The mast, which is also adjacent to a mosque and to a shopping centre which also houses Spinneys, was erected without consulting school authorities, said Peter Moore, DBS Primary Head Teacher.

DBS staff and parents are worried the mast is a "potential health hazard since its radiation poses serious threats like childhood leukaemia – a common concern in the UAE," said Lucy John, an anxious parent.

Moore said: "I’ve written to several authorities in du, including Chairman Ahmad Bin Byat; CEO Osman Sultan; Yatinder Mahajan, Executive VP-Techno-logy; Hatem Bamatraf, VP-Network Development, and others, requesting them to enlighten the school on the mast’s technical details and its effects, and have urged du to relocate it to a safer spot that may not have any hazardous impact on the local community, especially children."

He added, "Our concern is that the mast is directly above an area where 130 children spend 30 hours a week. These children are very young [three to five years] and hence it’s understandable that parents are concerned.

Evidence regarding the safety of such masts in close proximity to schools and homes seems to be inconclusive as longitudinal studies have not been possible with such rapidly evolving technologies."

Moore has received a response only from Bamatraf who said "du placed the mast taking into consideration the international safety distance referred by the American Standard Institute and the height of the mast is far from direct radio frequency (RF) exposure, and that the power radiated and the antenna gains are licensed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA)."

Ahmad Sharif, a parent who also frequents the mosque, asked, "How can the TRA give du the licence after knowing it’s a potential health hazard?"

However, when XPRESS contacted du CEO Osman Sultan, he said, "Our mobile base stations are erected in accordance with international best practices and standards, and only after getting all adequate permits from relevant government agencies."

He suggested parents read a World Health Organisation report on electromagnetic fields and public health on www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/print.html.

However, "du has not given us the technical details. We want the mast moved," said John.