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Bush fires affects ECG operations in Volta & Oti; Electricity poles replacement cost company over GHC1.3 million in 2023

By: Jones Anlimah

Replacement of destroyed electric poles mostly by bush fires in the Volta and Oti regions cost the Electricity Company of Ghana over GHC1.3 million Ghana Cedis last year.

According to the Volta regional General Manageress of the company, Mrs. Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, one of the major challenges that impacts heavily on their ability to provide reliable and quality supply of electricity is bush fires.

She has therefore called on the people of the Volta and Oti regions to help protect ECG infrastructure for reliable and quality supply of electricity.

The Volta and Oti Regional Manageress of the company disclosed this during an interview with GBCNEWS.

In Ghana, the dry season often casts a harsh spell on the country’s landscapes and vegetation thereby creating conditions ripe for unchecked bush burning.

The traditional practice of bush burning, often employed for Agricultural purposes also escalates during this period, posing environmental challenges. Farmers, seeking to clear land for cultivation, ignite controlled fires that can easily and quickly spread out of control in the arid atmosphere.

The consequences of unchecked bush burning are in manifolds including impacting biodiversity, air quality, exacerbating soil erosion and destruction to lives and property.

One state establishment that continues to suffer direct impacts of unchecked bush burning that results in bush fires is the Electricity Company of Ghana. According to the Volta Regional Office of the company, one of the major challenges that impacts heavily on its ability to provide reliable and quality electricity supply is bush fires.

In an interview with GBCNEWS, the Volta regional General Manageress of the company, Mrs. Christina Jatoe-Kaleo disclosed that ECG spent over 1.3 million Ghana cedis last year to replace destroyed electric poles majority of which were as a result of rampant bush burning in the Volta and Oti regions.

“We have had to also replace poles. Some were broken, some were rotten ones and some were also burnt though unfortunately. And this was over the tune of 1.3 million Ghana Cedis.”, she said.

According to her, the destruction of electricity poles as a result of rampant bush fires, not only incurs significant financial losses but also hampers the company’s efforts to maintain a seamless power distribution network. Underscoring the need for collective responsibility in safeguarding ECG infrastructure, Mrs Jatoe-Kaleo outlined some efforts to help reduce the rate of unchecked bush burning in the two regions.

“By the time you finish replacing one burnt pole we are hitting about 7,000 Ghana cedis. it takes time, even if it is one hour before we can replace these poles; one hour alone to a business that is depending on electricity is soo much, one hour to the life of somebody in the hospital, you cannot quantify it.” she added.

“We also have our routine maintenance that we do twice a year. We do fire belts around the poles to basically protect them, we also have some special paint like Yoghurt color, its special kind of paint that is fire resistant. In some areas where the bush fires are intense and prone, we replace some of our poles with metal ones. Sometimes our Public Relations, Communications and Marketing teams go out to the communities, churches, schools, mosques and also engage Assembly men so that during this time, they are more vigilant.”, she noted.

“So we just want to appeal to the public that we should come together to protect ECG assets, please don’t set bush fires indiscriminately.”, she appealed.

The call to action from Mrs Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, for protection of infrastructure serves not only the interests of ECG but also the broader community to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted power supply for the well-being and progress of the Volta and Oti regions.