**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2796 on August 6, 2025, regarding telecom operators and disaster resilience, the Ministry of Communications, Department of Telecommunications, addressed concerns about strengthening telecom infrastructure in cyclone and flood-prone areas. The Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, stated that the government has not allocated any specific funds or introduced financial assistance schemes to directly support telecom operators in bolstering disaster resilience capacity. While the government is not directly building telecom towers, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) are mandated to conduct Hazard Vulnerability Assessments during the planning phase of tower deployment, accounting for risks associated with cyclones, floods, seismic activity, and tsunamis. The response does not specify a timeframe for implementation of new measures to ensure uninterrupted telecom services during natural calamities, as the existing regulatory framework places the onus on TSPs to incorporate disaster resilience considerations into their infrastructure planning.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Communications: The Indian government ministry responsible for telecommunications.
Department of Telecommunications: A department under the Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
6th August, 2025: Date of the parliamentary question.
Telecom Service Providers: Entities that provide telecommunication services.
DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR: Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development.
Hazard Vulnerability Assessments: Assessments conducted by Telecom Service Providers to account for risks related to cyclones, floods, seismic activity, and tsunamis.
SMT. VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI: Member of Parliament who raised the question.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2796
ANSWERED ON 6TH AUGUST, 2025
TELECOM OPERATORS IN STRENGTHENING DISASTER-RESILIENCE CAPACITY
†2796. SMT. VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI:
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has allocated any specific funds or introduced any financial
assistance schemes to provide support to telecom operators in strengthening disaster-resilience
capacity, especially in cyclone and flood-prone areas;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the amount allocated and implementation mechanism;
(c) whether the Government is considering to build telecom towers in coastal and disaster prone
States to make them resilient to high-speed wind and other extreme weather conditions;
(d) if so, the details of the proposed changes in the telecom infrastructure regulations; and
(e) the time frame for implementation of these measures to ensure uninterrupted telecom
services during natural calamities?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)
(a) & (b) No specific fund has been allocated to provide support to telecom operators in
strengthening disaster-resilience capacity.
(c) to (e) Telecom towers are built by the Telecom Service Providers. However, while planning
the deployment of any tower in a given location, the TSPs conduct Hazard Vulnerability Assessments
taking into account risks related to cyclones, floods, seismic activity, and tsunamis.
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