Don’t stay under our transmission lines – GRIDCo warns encroachers

Ghana’s power transmission company, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), says it is working with the National Security to rid areas within the Greater Accra Region of illegal occupants whose activities prevent access to transmission towers.

According to the company, this is to ensure adequate and quality power transmission to the Greater Accra Region and adjoining areas.

Year after year, the power transmission company faces challenges with the activities of encroachers along its transmission towers and lands across the country.

Speaking during a press briefing in Accra, Director of System Operation with GRIDCo, Ing. Mark Baah, cautioned the public from operating under these lines as transmission line faults can result in casualties and damage to property.

“Let me appeal to Ghanaians, the ordinary 220 volts in the homes can kill easily, but we are talking about 161,330 volts, so you can imagine thousands of volts. If a line falls, they can’t be made up because they will be charred. Don’t stay under our transmission lines”.

The company has assured it will continue to “work with the relevant state institutions to remove property and structures and to curb all forms of human activities.”

This, it said, is to safeguard public safety and ensure the reliability of power transmission.

“Encroachment is a big challenge. We’ve observed people practically living under our transmission lines. We have cleared some of them in the past, but when you clear, they come back again. It is something we are working on. Sometimes it borders on the security of our staff, so we are now working with the National Security so that, we nip this in the bud. This has to be resolved.”

The Law

Under the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (LI 542) as amended by Regulation No. LI 1737 of 2004, it is an offence for persons or institutions to conduct any form of activity in relation to the lands around the location of power transmission lines and towers in Ghana.

Operations including drilling, excavation works, lorry parks, shops, garages, barns, real estate, undertaken in the areas extending for a distance of 15 meters on each side from the center of the transmission towers for 161kV lines and 20 meters for 330kV lines, are prohibited.

These activities pose a danger to human life and property, as transmission line faults can result in casualties and damage to property.