Cyclonic winds, flooding are common threats to telecom towers in Assam, Tamil Nadu, finds study finds

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Telecom towers in Assam and Tamil Nadu have a common problem; they are highly vulnerable to cyclonic winds and flooding, a study by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure said.

The New Delhi-based global coalition comprises 72 members from national governments, international organisations and the private sector.

The coalition’s Disaster Risk and Resilience Assessment Framework, developed in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications and the National Disaster Management Authority, assessed telecom resilience in five high-risk States — Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.

The study mapped 48,416 telecom towers across Tamil Nadu and found 57% face high or very high cyclonic wind risk, with major concentrations in Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur. Along with Kanchipuram, Chennai and Chengalpattu also have the highest concentrations of towers exposed to flooding (33% State-wide).

About 14% of the towers are exposed to storm surges exceeding six meters, particularly in Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, and Tirunelveli, the telecom study report said.

Of the 18,388 telecom towers mapped in Assam, 83% were situated in very high cyclonic wind zones, 43% in areas with high flood exposure, and 5% in areas with high landslide exposure.

The report identified Nagaon, Barpeta, Lakhimpur and Tinsukia among districts particularly prone to flooding, while highlighting landslide exposure affecting telecom towers in Kamrup (Metropolitan), and Dima Hasao.

According to the report, Odisha’s telecom towers face threats similar to Tamil Nadu — 57% are exposed to high and very high cyclonic winds, 14% to storm-surge exposure exceeding six metres, and 13% exposed to flooding.

In Gujarat and Uttarakhand, 28% (12,650 structures) and 25% (2,440) of telecom towers are exposed to very high cyclonic winds, respectively. While 12% of Gujarat’s telecom towers face flood exposure, 10% of those in Uttarakhand are located in areas with high landslide susceptibility.

Additionally, all towers in Assam and Uttarakhand, and 12% of towers in Gujarat, are located in high and very high seismic zones (Zone IV and V).

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure said telecom resilience is a system-level challenge. Tower exposure is only one aspect — networks can suffer severe outages without direct tower damage when flooding disrupts power, fibre and backhaul connectivity, road access, and generator fuel supplies.

“Telecommunications is vital for economic growth and social development… the sector has contributed about 15% to global GDP in the past decade and is projected to reach a $2.8 trillion market by 2030.