<p>The panel was constituted by taking into account several studies done in India and abroad suggesting that proliferation of mobile towers grievously harmed colonies of small birds like house sparrow as well as honey bees.<br /><br />According to Dr Sainuddin Pattazhy, a researcher from Kerala who has been made its member, the Experts' Group is headed by Dr Asad Rahmani, Director of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai.<br /><br />"It is a welcome step since scholars, researchers and conservationists have been pressing for such a comprehensive study on the issue," Pattazhy told PTI.<br />Pattazhy's study last year claimed that electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile towers seriously threaten the navigational skills of honey bees and is a major cause of colony collapse disorder reported from various parts of the world, affecting the production of honey.<br /><br />According to researchers, such damage happened in the case of house-sparrows that nest and breed near human habitats.<br /><br />The committee has been asked to "assess the level of possible impact of growth of mobile towers in urban, suburban and even rural and forest areas on population of birds and bees and suggest appropriate measures to address the problem", he said.<br />The panel has also been assigned the task of reviewing all studies done so far in India and abroad on the matter and formulate guidelines for regulating large scale installation of mobile towers.<br /><br />Others on the group are representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun), Ministry of Telecommunication, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), IIT (New Delhi), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (Coimbatore), WWF-India, Centre for Environmental and vocational Studies (Punjab University).<br />DIG Forest (Ministry of Environment) is member- secretary of the panel.</p>
<p>The panel was constituted by taking into account several studies done in India and abroad suggesting that proliferation of mobile towers grievously harmed colonies of small birds like house sparrow as well as honey bees.<br /><br />According to Dr Sainuddin Pattazhy, a researcher from Kerala who has been made its member, the Experts' Group is headed by Dr Asad Rahmani, Director of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai.<br /><br />"It is a welcome step since scholars, researchers and conservationists have been pressing for such a comprehensive study on the issue," Pattazhy told PTI.<br />Pattazhy's study last year claimed that electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile towers seriously threaten the navigational skills of honey bees and is a major cause of colony collapse disorder reported from various parts of the world, affecting the production of honey.<br /><br />According to researchers, such damage happened in the case of house-sparrows that nest and breed near human habitats.<br /><br />The committee has been asked to "assess the level of possible impact of growth of mobile towers in urban, suburban and even rural and forest areas on population of birds and bees and suggest appropriate measures to address the problem", he said.<br />The panel has also been assigned the task of reviewing all studies done so far in India and abroad on the matter and formulate guidelines for regulating large scale installation of mobile towers.<br /><br />Others on the group are representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun), Ministry of Telecommunication, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), IIT (New Delhi), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (Coimbatore), WWF-India, Centre for Environmental and vocational Studies (Punjab University).<br />DIG Forest (Ministry of Environment) is member- secretary of the panel.</p>