Crows are increasingly causing power disruptions in Ghana’s Ashanti Region by damaging key transmission infrastructure, according to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The birds have been targeting installations, leading to frequent outages and operational difficulties that affect consumers in multiple districts.
Collins Manu, the Head of Public Relations for ECG’s Ashanti Sub-Transmission Region, emphasized the company’s ongoing efforts to restore and stabilize the system to ensure a reliable power supply.
A recent report highlighted the worst-hit areas, including Barekese, Akyawkrom, Effiduase, Kumawu, Bekwai, and others. In fact, the Akyawkrom-Kuntenase-Bekwai transmission lines alone have at least 92 crow nests made of metallic materials, causing significant electrical faults.
The bird droppings have also contributed to insulation breakdowns, which pose an additional risk and increase maintenance costs.
To address these issues, senior ECG officials have been inspecting the affected areas and implementing preventive measures.
These include installing physical barriers like bird spikes, using non-conductive materials to deter nesting, improving system design for better insulation, and using behavioral deterrents such as predator decoys and distress calls.
These initiatives are expected to help mitigate the problem and protect critical infrastructure from further damage.
