The Western Regional Branch of the Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Westel and Celtel Mobile Communication Companies to stop work on the erection of their mast at Housing, Mangoase Residential area in Takoradi and secure permit before they go ahead with the project. The EPA has also directed Tigo, Ghana Telecom and MTN which already have their masts in operation in the area to stop operations and follow the same procedure for securing permit from the Agency. 

In this regard, it has called on residents of the area to monitor the activities of mobile phone communication companies in the area, especially Westel and Celtel to make sure they do not continue with the digging of the trenches.

The move by the EPA comes after 20 members of the Housing, Mangoase Residential Area Association petitioned it to impress upon the mobile communication companies which have erected their masts in the area to remove them because of the health hazards associated with their operations.  

The EPA explained that the procedure to legally operate involves the acquisition of Environmental Assessment Form One, filling and submission of the forms and the subsequent sitting of a technical review committee to either accept to grant a company the right to operate or not. 

According to the EPA none of the mobile phone communication companies operating in the area has got permit from them.