GRIDCo gives Ejisu occupants under high-tension lines 30 days to vacate

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has commenced a sensitisation and eviction exercise in the Ashanti Region to clear all human activities and structures from areas under its high-voltage transmission lines.

The exercise, which is being carried out in collaboration with relevant state agencies, is aimed at preventing encroachment on the transmission corridor, which poses serious safety risks.

This follows a recent incident at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region where a fuel tanker exploded, and parts of the tanker flew and dented one of GRIDCo's transmission towers.

Speaking to the media, the Director of Land Management at GRIDCo, Engineer Bismark Anane, said such incidents underscore the urgent need to keep the transmission corridor free from human activities, especially trading in highly flammable materials, to safeguard lives and property.

"The Minister for Energy issued the directive following a recent incident at Ashaiman where a fuel tanker exploded and part of it flew and dented one of the transmission towers. So, to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, a one-month period has been given for occupants living within the right-of-way of the transmission lines to vacate voluntarily," he said.

According to him, continuous occupation of the Right of Way not only endangers the lives of encroachers but also compromises the integrity of GRIDCo's transmission infrastructure and hinders safe access for routine maintenance and emergency repair works.

He noted that high-voltage transmission lines carry extremely high currents, and any close human activity within the corridor could result in electrocution, fire outbreaks, and widespread power disruptions.

He stressed that the enforcement is not intended to punish anyone but to enforce safety regulations and ensure reliable power transmission across the country.

At Ejisu, where the exercise has started, residents, traders, artisans and commercial drivers operating directly under and around the high-tension lines have been given a 30-day ultimatum to vacate the area.

During an engagement with affected occupants, GRIDCo clarified that not all affected persons will automatically qualify for compensation.

He explained that compensation will only be considered for affected occupants who can produce proper and verifiable documentation establishing their legitimate interest in the land they occupy.

He said persons who settled in the area without lawful authority or official documentation cannot be compensated, as their occupation is considered illegal.

GRIDCo has therefore urged all occupants within the transmission corridor to take note of the 30-day notice and make the necessary arrangements to relocate before the enforcement of the directive.

Meanwhile, affected occupants have expressed mixed reactions to the directive.

While some say they are ready to comply with the order, they are appealing to GRIDCo and the authorities to provide alternative places for them to relocate before any eviction or demolition is carried out.

Some blamed the Ejisu Municipal Assembly, saying they were allowed to settle and operate in the area for years despite the visible presence of the transmission lines and were even collecting tolls and levies from them.

Others claimed they occupied the area long before the transmission lines were installed and therefore want their circumstances to be considered on humanitarian grounds.

According to them, a forceful eviction without an alternative place will lead to loss of homes, collapse of businesses and livelihoods, as many of them depend solely on activities within the enclave for survival.

They have therefore appealed to the government to intervene to ensure a humane approach to the exercise.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.