The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has raised alarm over the growing threat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, poses to its transmission infrastructure, warning that the activities of miners near power lines could trigger a major disaster.
Speaking at GRIDCo headquarters in Tema on Thursday, September 25, the Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Engineering and Operations, Frank Otchere, revealed that galamsey operators are encroaching on transmission tower sites, digging dangerously close to the foundations.
He cautioned that this weakens the towers, which are carefully engineered to withstand immense weight and pressure.
Mr Otchere further said that maintenance teams now face attacks when they attempt to access some areas.
“Unfortunately, there are some areas that even when our maintenance teams go there, they get shot at. And some of them have had to run away,” he disclosed, adding that the situation has made it impossible for GRIDCo to operate in certain locations without security support.