HC stays sealing of cellphone towers till May 19

“It is a public interest matter and should be resolved amicably,” Justice Gambhir said during the hearing.

In their petition,the mobile phone operators alleged the sealing drive by the MCD was illegal as the powers under the Indian Telegraph Act are vested with the Central government and not any civic authority.

The MCD had sealed 24 illegal mobile towers in the Capital on Wednesday. There are 5,364 phone towers under the civic body’s jurisdiction. Of these,nearly 2,952 were declared illegal for being installed without the civic body’s permission.

The MCD has already sealed over 300 towers in the last few months. According to the MCD,mobile operators who have erected towers illegally were given one month’s time to get them regularised. The deadline expired last week.