Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) officials, police and military personnel on Tuesday demolished illegal structures erected under high tension poles at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Municipality.
Communities within the Fiesta Royale Hotel Area, Ayigbe Town, Bawaleshie, Adjringano and American House were affected by the demolition.
The exercise, which started around 5:00am, aimed at getting rid of encroachers, whose activities posed threat to GRIDCo’s transmission towers.
At least 150 of squatters were stranded as their makeshift wooden structures, including kiosks were pulled down and destroyed.
The acting Head of Corporate Communications of GRIDCo, Mr Bernard KwabenaGyan,in a statement, copied the Ghanaian Times, stated that his outfit would continue to collaborate with relevant state institutions to remove illegal structures under high tension poles or GRIDCO’s Right of Way.
“GRIDCo’s Right of Way is to help safeguard public safety, protect lives of encroachers and ensure the reliability of power transmission,” he explained.
MrGyancited that in October 2021, GRIDCo in partnership with District Assembliesundertook a nationwide “Right of Way exercise to educate encroachers on the risk associated with their activities along the company’s Right of Way.”
“During the sensitisation, GRIDCo urged compliance with timelines provided in media publications, to prevent any inconveniences,” he stated.
Mr Gyan said 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.
He said operations, including, drilling, excavation works, lorry parks, shops, garages, bars, and real estate undertaken within the Right of Way reservations were strictly prohibited.
“These activities pose danger to human life and property as transmission line faults can result in human casualties and damage to property,” he said.
BY ANITA ANKRAH
