The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRDICo) has announced a planned Right-of-Way demolition exercise in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
It will be carried out in areas along GRIDCo’s Tema-Achimota-Mallam High Voltage transmission lines.
The exercise has been scheduled to take place at the end of March 2021.
GRIDCo, according to a statement released on Tuesday said “the exercise will rid the areas of illegal occupants and encroachers, whose activities prevent access to the transmission towers”,
Specific portions of the national capital that to be affected are Dzorwulu, Ashiaman Middle East and areas in East Legon including, American House; Adzei Kodzo and Menpeasem.
The demolition exercise, when completed, will enable “unimpeded access to the transmission towers by GRIDCo Engineers and Contractors in order for construction works to be carried out 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, particularly in Accra.
However, the company has assured, it will continue to “work with the relevant state institutions to remove properties and structures and to curb all forms of human activities, within the Right-of-Ways.”
This, it said, is to safeguard public safety and ensure the reliability of power transmission.
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 15meters on each side from the centre 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 properties.
