The Delhi Court today while hearing actress-environmentalist Juhi Chawla's lawsuit filed against the implementation of 5G in India has reserved the order on several applications regarding the institution of the suit. The lawsuit has been filed by the actress and others.
Before hearing the matter, the Delhi High Court today had asked Juhi Chawla to file a short note on her plea against the setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country while raising issues related to the technology's radiation impact on citizens, animals, flora and fauna.
The court said it will first take up four applications filed by Chawla and two others in the plea, including permission to institute the suit. The court also permitted advocate Amit Mahajan, representing the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to file a one-and-a half page note to see if an audience is required to be given to it.
"Defendants cannot claim right to audience till I issue notice. I will see if they have a right," the judge said.
The plea, filed through advocate Deepak Khosla, claimed that these 5G wireless technology plans threaten to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent damage to the earth's ecosystems.
The suit, filed by Chawla, Veeresh Malik and Teena Vachani, has said if the telecom industry's plans for 5G come to fruition, no person, animal, bird, insect and plant on earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of RF radiation that are 10x to 100x times greater than what exists today.
Earlier in the day, Juhi took to instagram to talk about how radiation will increase exponentially with 5G and urged people who are interested, to join her in the first virtual hearing in the court.
Speaking in an Instagram video in Hindi and English early on Wednesday, Juhi said: "People are asking me why I woke up suddenly and filed a suit. I want to tell them that I didn't wake up today. I have been speaking about radiation, safe cell phone use, cell phone tower radiation since the last 10 years and tried to spread awareness on the same as much as possible."
"Our phones work on radio waves, which are increasing in our environment. From 1G to 2G to 3G to 4G. Now 4G to 5G is a very big leap. Radiation will increase exponentially. See, you know it, everything in moderation is fine but when it is more than required then you get to know the ill effects of it," she added.
(With agency inputs)
