It is high time that the telco tower owners/operators demonstrated a greater sense of responsibility insofar as attending to their faulty towers, especially those near residential areas.

For example, each time a tower has a problem - like a faulty warning light (the red, flight-alert light on the tower), the alarm buzzer is triggered. And for days the alarm keeps ringing at high decibels until the maintenance crew gets to the problematic location.

In the meantime the residents of high-rise dwellings in the vicinity have to suffer the piercing alarm that keeps buzzing all day and all night long.

The nights can be most annoying as the siren cuts through the quiet.

It is time that the government gets tough on these telco owners and operators for their negligence.

The Health Ministry should educae the public, creating an awareness of the dangers posed by these piercing alarms to mental and physical well-being. Further, if these telcos cannot even correct a buzzing alarm for days on end, I wonder if they are also dutifully monitoring other dangerous conditions like alleged ‘radiation’ problems associated with these towers.

The local police must also go beyond street policing or allegedly doing political vanguard duties. They should alert telco operators on hearing such alarms and take action on irresponsible owners for repeat offences that truly disturb the citizens’ right to peaceful living.

Meanwhile the ministry in charge of telecommunication must summon these telco owners and give them a good drubbing and take stern action.

Many affected residents in their helplessness can only complain amongst themselves. Hence consumer bodies must also up the awareness creation and could even help introduce a 24-hour helpline in collaboration with relevant government machinery so that the affected public have an immediate and effective access to redress.

And media publicity is just as vital in putting pressure on recalcitrant, irresponsible and negligent telco owners and operators. Attempting to shy away from reporting such problems merely to protect advertising revenue is totally unethical and irresponsible.

Given the hugely profitable telecommunication business in the country that also makes individuals rank as billionaires, the public should not suffer from these howling, blaring alarms that go on for days and nights.

And the public need to also know whether these towers are ruining their health in any other silent, unseen ways because if an alarm siren cannot get fixed quickly, I wonder what else is running foul.