The government will initiate a penal action against private cellular companies from November 15 this year, if radiation emanating from their towers is found violating internationally accepted norms, Union minister of state for communications Sachin Pilot said today.

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) will be monitoring the radiation levels of the estimated five lakh cellphone towers in the country to ensure that they are in conformity with the guidelines laid down by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) to safeguard public health, he told reporters here.

The violator companies will be fined Rs five lakh per tower, Pilot said, adding that the government had issued instructions for strict implementation of the radiation norms.

"Companies should take care of health of citizens", he added.