The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun an intensive tree-pruning and right-of-way-clearing exercise across the Ashanti Region as part of efforts to reduce power outages during the rainy season.

The initiative aims to tackle electricity disruptions caused by overgrown vegetation, which often affects power lines and equipment during storms and heavy rainfall.

Ashanti Sub-Transmission General Manager, Kofi Apau Ohenese, said that falling branches and encroaching vegetation remain major causes of feeder trips, voltage fluctuations, and equipment damage.

“Government is supporting ECG to improve infrastructure on the network, but we must also pay serious attention to vegetation control and management to improve supply reliability in the Ashanti Region,” he said during an inter-regional operations meeting in Kumasi.

To accelerate the exercise, ECG has started paying arrears owed to contractors responsible for vegetation control and tree cutting.

At least six firms have been engaged for the project, with work currently ongoing along the Akyawkrom-Kuntenase-Bekwai, Anwomaso-Achiase, and Akyawkrom-Effiduase-Kumawu corridors.

Ing. Ohenese disclosed that all outstanding debts owed to contractors had been cleared to encourage stronger participation and speed up maintenance work on critical sections of the electricity network.

The power distributor is also engaging with communities to discourage planting tall trees under power lines and within transmission buffer zones.

Manager for Network Maintenance at Ashanti Sub-Transmission, James M. Yevunya, said about 75 per cent of the work has already been completed ahead of the June deadline.

Supply reliability and public safety are our ultimate goals. Our target is to eliminate vegetation-related tripping on our network,” he stated.

ECG has also deployed technology to support the exercise through its Network Management System App, which is being used for real-time patrols and inspections.

Some industrial users in the region have welcomed the intervention.

An operations engineer at UNICEM Cement Ghana Limited said persistent voltage fluctuations in the Bekwai enclave sometimes disrupt production lines during peak periods.

“If ECG’s vegetation control program is sustained, it should help reduce some of these interruptions,” the engineer said.

ECG expects the exercise to significantly reduce vegetation-related faults, improve voltage stability and lower emergency repair costs across the region.