The Electricity Company of Ghana has warned against planting trees under Low Voltage Lines as a preventative measure to avoid future power outages.

While leading ECG employees to educate and plant trees at the All Saint Anglican School in Takoradi, the Western Regional Manager of the ECG, Engineer Emmanuel Justice Ofori, stated that the ECG aims to plant 5,000 trees in the area.

However, he noted, people should exercise caution when planting trees near low-voltage power lines since when mature trees come into touch with the lines, the power supply may be disrupted.

“We are advising those planting trees that we should go about planting the trees but we should be careful not to plant them directly under the lines especially the LV lines (Low Voltage lines).”

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underlined his government’s unflinching commitment to environmental protection in the face of climate change.

The President stressed the necessity of collaborative action as Ghana and other nations globally battle with the urgent need for sustainable practices to prevent the catastrophic consequences of global warming.

He emphasized the importance of ongoing programs such as the Green Ghana Project during the commemoration of the 2023 Green Ghana Day.

“We are living in a time of unprecedented global environmental challenges that threaten our existence and the faith of our planet. The climate crisis is affecting our health, livelihood, security, and our future and it is the major obstacle to sustainable development.

“The inter-governmental panel on climate change reports that human activities have emitted some 2.4 trillion of carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era and half of that amount remains in the atmosphere till this very day,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The Green Ghana Day was launched by President Akufo-Addo in 2021 under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda of the government.