Tilted radio tower yet to be rectified

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 17

Even after the passage of seven months, the tilted 300-metre high tower has not been rectified despite assurances.

According to Civil engineer Harjap Singh Aujla, who has a vast experience in sound and picture propagation, he recently visited the All India Radio’s tower site at Gharinda village near the Attari border. He said that at the time of inauguration on September 24, 2018, it was announced that the tilt in the tower would be rectified soon and a high-powered transmitter would be installed on the tower.

According to the site engineer, no work has been undertaken yet.

Residents of adjoining villages want 4 to 6 am transmission of the primary channel of All India Radio, Jalandhar, to be added to the 18 hours of transmission. Though the model code of conduct is in force, it can be done without holding a public function.

Another keen radio listener, Charanjit Singh Gumtala, said, “During the past nearly seven months, no corrective measure has been undertaken. The area is totally neglected. The reception in the downtown area of Amritsar has not improved a bit.”

Kulwant Singh, a resident of Pratap Nagar, said he tried tuning his radio at various places in the city, but to no avail. He said proper signal is neither in the city nor in Pathankot. He added that an acquaintance from Lahore had told him that signals were available on the outer parts of the city.

He felt that for the 20 kilowatt FM radio transmitter, height of tower should at least be 300 metre.

“Settling for a drastically lower height of antenna amounts to under-utilisation of the power of the transmitter,” he observed.