The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah has ordered encroachers of restricted areas around ECG facilities, either transformers or high-tension cables to relocate by the end of June 2022. This directive was given during an inspection tour to some electricity facilities within Greater Kumasi on June 8, 2022.
The exercise which was meant to assess the safety of machineries and the electricity powering system, witnessed the Minister visiting four (4) main Electricity facilities at KATH Roundabout, Adoato, Aboabo-Dagomba Line and Abinkyi. This was done in the company of Mr. David Asamoah Boadi, the Ashanti Regional Manager of ECG.
Mr. David Asamoah Boadi explained that even though electricity is a “good friend”, it can be harmful and dangerous. He therefore advised those occupying buildings and structures under transformers, as well as commercial workers who does business at ECG restricted areas to move from those areas. Besides the fact that staying at those areas is very harmful and dangerous for lives, it also impedes the work of the ECG especially by blocking right of way.
Commercial Businesses Under High Tension Cables
Mr. David Asamoah Boadi noted that, encroachment of areas such as the Adoato Terminal is disturbing since it carries one-third of Kumasi’s electric current. Likewise, the KATH Roundabout Terminal which supplies the hospital is also at risk from the encroachment of commercial businesses. The Ashanti Regional Manager intimated that the encroachment at the Abinkyi and Aboabo-Dagomba Line facilities is the worse of all. According to him, structures and buildings have been built under the main high tension and closer to the main transformers, some encroachers set fire under and closer to the high-tension cables and transformers for commercial purposes which are very dangerous and can cause fire accident.
Commercial Businesses Under High Tension Cables
Supporting the Ashanti Regional Minister’s directive for encroachers to relocate by the end of June 2022, Mr. David Asamoah Boadi, added that structures on the encroached area will have to be demolished by KMA task force. This is because some of the cables in these areas carry about eleven thousand voltages (11,000V), while others carry thirty-three thousand voltages (33,000V) which are very high voltages and can contribute to cancerous diseases.