Mice cause blackout in Denu District

Electricity supply to several towns in the Denu District has been interrupted since Monday because mice fleeing pesticide sprayed to drive them from the Company’s Sub-station at Aflao entered the busbars and short-circuit the system.

The affected towns include Aflao, Denu, Hedzranawo, Adafienu and Agbozume. Sources close to the Electricity Company of Ghana at Denu said the sub-station, which is very close to a swamp and a refuse dump was on Friday September 21, fumigated, to get rid of rodents and other pests.

The fumigation forced the mice out, which then scuttled into the Switchgear, resulting in the burning of the busbars and damaging the switchgear that served as the distribution unit of the various transformers.

The sources said two of the mice were found dead in the Switchgear when it was opened for examination.

It would take about 10 days for power to be restored. Repair works would include the replacement of the switchgear at a cost of over 100 million cedis, a source told the Ghana News Agency.

Mr Joe Dadoza, Denu Area Manager of ECG, confirmed the story but declined to comment.

Meanwhile, an acute water shortage has hit Aflao and its environs because of the power outage. The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) could not pump water from its reservoirs.

Residents have been forced to depend on wells as sources of water supply.

The District Director of Health Services has warned the people against drinking water from the wells saying it was unsafe because a recent research revealed that it contained faecal matter.

There is fear of a possible outbreak of cholera and typhoid fever if prompt action is not taken to restore pipe borne water supply. Five months ago, a cholera outbreak claimed six lives in Aflao and its environs.