Ho, Jan. 19, GNA- The Volta Region has recorded a drastic drop in the number of high tension poles lost to bushfires in the region so far this year.

Mr. Clemence Akpelo, Regional Maintenance Engineer, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ho on Friday, said the worst seemed to be over, judging from the experience of bushfires in the region. He said the Ho and Nkwanta areas, known to record the highest average losses of between 20-30 poles and 40-60 poles respectively at this time each year, have so far this year lost only five and three poles respectively.

Mr Akpelo, said the reduction was due to the early award of contracts for clearing the bush around the poles at a total cost of 347 million cedis.

He said the cost of clearing was the cost the company would have incurred if it had to replace 100 burnt poles. Mr Akpelo said the high-tension pole coverage in the region was 1,800 circuit kilometres with each circuit kilometre taking 13 poles. He said the number of high-tension poles in the region as at December 2005 stood at 23,400 of 11,000 and 33,000 voltages respectively and that the situation "is dynamic".

Mr. Akpelo said though burnt wooden poles were being replaced with concrete poles, wooden poles were used in emergency situations. He said replacing wooden poles with concrete poles was capital intensive and that such poles could only withstand heat for three years and like the wooden poles would have to be replaced at great cost to the company.

Mr Akpelo said the most sustainable and cost effective way to protect the poles and secure interrupted service was for people to desist from bush burning at this time of the year. He appealed to the public to desist from planting cash crops such as coconut, orange, mango and the like under or close to high-tension poles because they damaged the overhead lines and interrupt power supply. 20 Jan. 07