The people in the Kayoro community in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region are sleeping in total darkness for the past week due to bushfires that destroyed electrical poles. Two high-tension poles in the forest reserve between Katio and Kayoro communities were ravaged, which, as a result, caused a total blackout in the entire Kayoro community for over a week now.
Paramount Chief of the Kayoro traditional area, Pe Oscar Tiyiamo Batabi II attributed the cause of the bushfires to the activities of hunters, farmers, and charcoal burners.
“The problem comes from the farmers and they bring their children to the farms. When they are going back home from the farms, they start burning the bush. I learned they are always searching for rats. And again, the charcoal burners don’t quench the fire entirely and that also causes the bushfires.”
Pe Batabi II said the interrupted power supply caused by the perennial bushfires has affected economic and social activities in the community. Call and internet connectivity in the Kayoro community was disrupted following the power cut to the community.
The paramount chief of the Kayoro traditional area said a report was put before the Volta River Authority/Northern Electricity Distribution Company (VRA/NEDCo) pending a positive outcome.
“It has been a week now, and I have been able to go to the VRA people and they even came down and have a look at it. According to them, the contractor in charge will soon come around and change the poles. I even told them that it will be better to use iron poles because of the bush fires,” he stated.
The chief said he has put in by-laws, and culprits who are caught will be made to face the full rigorous of the law. While pledging to continue sensitizing the community members, especially farmers on the need to construct fire belts to protect the forest reserve, Pe Batabi II called on the Forestry Commission to proactively curtail the bushfires in the area.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Kayoro|Ghana
