Ghana Grid Company Ltd. (GRIDCo) will curtail power supply to parts of the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, August. 16, from 3:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to allow engineers to carry out emergency works to replace a damaged tower on the Tema-Achimota 161-kV transmission line at Ashaiman Middle East.
“GRIDCo engineers and technical teams will use this period to safely undertake the required works and restore the integrity of the transmission line,” the company said in a statement on Saturday.
GRIDCo apologised to affected customers for the planned outage and appealed for public patience and cooperation while the emergency works are carried out.
The transmission tower was damaged on July 10 when a fuel tanker exploded while welding work was being carried out on its tank within the transmission line’s right-of-way (RoW), GRIDCo said.
The planned repairs prompted a visit to the site by Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, who inspected the damaged tower on Thursday.
GRIDCo said encroachment on a lawfully acquired or assigned transmission line right-of-way is prohibited by law.
The Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (L.I. 542), as amended by L.I. 1737 of 2004, prohibit activities including unauthorised construction, excavation, drilling, commercial operations, lorry parks, shops and garages within transmission line corridors.
During his visit, Jinapor warned people, businesses, land users and other entities encroaching on transmission line rights-of-way across the country to vacate the affected areas within one month or face enforcement action, including forced eviction and confiscation of items left behind, according to the statement.
The directive applies particularly to those who have erected structures, established businesses, parked heavy vehicles or carried out welding, excavation or other industrial activities within the transmission line corridors.
GRIDCo said that after the one-month period it would work with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, other statutory institutions and security agencies to enforce the law and remove unauthorised structures and activities from transmission line rights-of-way.
“Persons who fail to comply should therefore expect enforcement action in accordance with the applicable laws,” GRIDCo said.
The company said transmission line rights-of-way were not available for unrestricted occupation or commercial use and urged the public, traditional authorities, landowners, businesses and local authorities to cooperate in keeping the corridors clear of encroachment.
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