Fear grips house owners under high tension cable in Delta over demolition move

Palpable fear of plan by the Delta State Government to demolish houses under high tension cable has griped its owners who described the planned exercise as plot to allegedly throw them out of their houses.

Some landlords under the high tension cable, one of them, Mr. Patrick Oke told our reporter yesterday in Asaba that the government’s plan to demolish the houses, might rendered them homeless and vagrants, adding that government had in plan to relocate them elsewhere. “we will have nowhere to go if our houses are demolished” he added.

But the state government through the State Ministry of Environment had frowned at act of erecting permanent structures and shanties under high low tension cables by some individuals in the state, thereby defacing the environment, as well as endangering their lives and other occupants of the structures.

A statement issued and signed by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. John Nani, a copy made available to our reporter, advised all owners of such structures built under high/low tension cables to dismantle them on or before May 20, 2017.

The statement further stated that electricity system produces extremely high frequency electromagnetic field, which comes under non-ionizing radiations which can cause health effects.

Apart from human effect, the electrostatic coupling and electromagnetic interference of high voltage transmission lines have impact on plants and telecommunication equipment mainly operating in frequency range below UHF.

It also warned that the voltage level of high power transmission lines are 400KV, 230KV, 110KV, 66KV etc. The electromagnetic field from high power transmission lines pose serious threat to human health as the effect of electrostatic field can cause damage of DNA, risk of cancer, miscarriage for pregnant women, leukemia and in most cases death.

The statement added that the ministry will embark on a crucial demolition exercise to remove all illegal structures built under high and low tension cables in the state.

It urged the people of the state not to build beyond the strips of land provided as right of way for high tension installations in the state, saying that the right of way serves as buffer to decrease the effects of the energized line, including magnetic and electric field effects.

Owners of all illegal structures are to adhere to the instructions as defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with extent laws, the statement concluded.