The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has raised alarm over the growing threat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, poses to the country’s power transmission system.
Frank Otchere, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Engineering and Operations, described the situation as a “near disaster” during an inspection visit by Parliament’s Energy Committee on Thursday, September 25.
He revealed that illegal miners have begun encroaching on land reserved for power line maintenance — known as right-of-way zones — and are digging dangerously close to high-voltage transmission towers.
“Right-of-way clearing is now being turned into lucrative galamsey zones. In several areas, we’ve discovered that overnight, people move in to carry out illegal mining activities dangerously close to our towers,” Mr. Otchere explained.
He warned that while the steel towers may appear sturdy, their foundations are carefully engineered for specific soil conditions. Mining in such areas weakens the base, threatening the stability of the towers and the entire transmission network.
“There are some towers we’ve had to urgently reinforce just to prevent potential collapse,” he said.
Mr. Otchere also disclosed that GRIDCo staff face grave risks during maintenance, with some workers reportedly coming under attack from armed miners.
“There are places where our maintenance teams have been shot at, forcing some staff to abandon their work,” he lamented.
He stressed that the escalating situation is beyond GRIDCo’s control and called for immediate intervention from security agencies.
“We are getting to a point where GRIDCo alone cannot manage this. We urgently need support from the security forces to safeguard the system,” Mr. Otchere appealed.
Source: Wesleyannews.com
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