Nghe An: Warning about violations of power grid safety corridors

Risk of insecurity

In Anh Son, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan districts,... it is not difficult to witness the reality of violations of the power grid safety corridor. People in the hamlets, Yen Hop commune, Quy Hop district grow perennial acacia and newly planted trees in the high-voltage power grid safety corridor. In addition to the violations that have not been handled for many years, in 2021, there were 3 more violations of the 110kV power line corridor in Hoang Mai town, Vinh city and Do Luong town, Do Luong district. And 1 violation of the 35kV power line corridor at Ke Dat Nghe An Iron Smelter Factory.

People in Dinh Son and Anh Son communes built in violation of safety corridors, endangering their lives. Photo: TH

In Anh Son district, if in Lang Son, Khai Son, Phuc Son communes, the common situation is still that people plant trees and exploit trees in the power line corridor violating the distance; then in Hoa Son, Thach Son, Dinh Son communes, people dump rocks and soil, gather materials, level the ground, reducing the phase-to-ground distance compared to the original design of the power line, not ensuring safety, installing billboards near the power line corridor. Some cases use mechanical means to construct under the power line, dig ponds, do home gardens violating the safe distance for electric discharge, risk of falling poles, landslides due to storms... threatening the risk of human accidents and power grid incidents.

Although the District People's Committee has issued documents and directed localities to thoroughly handle violations, some violations left by history are difficult to resolve. The most important thing is to propagate and mobilize people to raise awareness, not to plant trees, build houses, and set up shops that violate the corridor, and for political and social organizations to thoroughly participate, simultaneously creating movements and effects, then we can make a breakthrough.

Mr. Ngo The Lu - Director of Anh Son Electricity

Anh Son Electricity workers cut down trees and cleared the power grid safety corridor. Photo TH

Currently the CompanyNghe An ElectricityManaging and operating over 6,500 km of 110 kV lines, nearly 4,000 km of 35 kV lines, nearly 600 km of 22 kV lines, nearly 1,300 km of 10 kV lines, along with over 16,500 km of low-voltage lines, of which most of the medium-voltage lines pass through mountainous areas, fragmented terrain, and low educational level, making it very difficult to propagate and raise awareness of protecting the safety of power grid corridors for people, managing and operating the power grid as well as handling incidents when they occur. Before 2019, power outages occurred frequently or the quality of electricity was unstable in mountainous districts such as Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan. The main reason was that people planted trees in violation of the safety distance of high-voltage power grid corridors.

Construction vehicles building roads in the corridor of power line 971E15.4 in Yen Son commune, Do Luong. Photo: TH

According to the synthesis, there are currently 62 construction and housing sites that violate the safety corridor of the high-voltage power grid that need to be handled; it is expected that in 2021, 48/62 violations will be handled through grid renovation. According to Mr. Le Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Nghe An Power Company, although the Company has paid attention to directing its affiliated units to coordinate in propagating and mobilizing people to comply with the State's policies and laws on protecting the safety corridor of the high-voltage power grid, in order to ensure electrical safety for the people and safety for the power grid, there are still some people, units and organizations that are not aware of the work of protecting high-voltage power grid works, leading to violations, causing accidents to people and power grid incidents. There is still a situation where construction contractors inside and outside industrial parks encroach on and violate the safety corridor of the high-voltage power grid; People build and expand houses under the safety corridor of high-voltage power grid without agreement with the management unit, and do not coordinate with the electricity industry to receive guidance and supervision on the implementation of electrical safety measures.

Need to strengthen coordination in handling

Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Industry and Trade, Nghe An Electricity Company regularly coordinates closely with Party committees, authorities, and organizations to widely propagate the Party's policies and the State's laws on ensuringgrid corridor safetythrough many visual forms such as: propaganda through loudspeakers, distributing leaflets, giving talks, signing commitments not to plant trees or build houses within the power grid safety corridor. At the same time, coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade, police, forest rangers, and related localities to promptly and thoroughly handle violations.

The Department of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with localities and relevant sectors, the electricity sector to handle violations; Advise the Provincial People's Committee on documents directing relevant sectors to strengthen the management and protection of high-voltage power grid safety corridors in the area. Up to now, in mountainous districts such as Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, frequent power outages; unstable power supply due to power line incidents affecting production, business and daily life of people have significantly decreased. However, some violations of 110kV and 220kV power grid safety corridors still occur.

Checking the power grid in Anh Son. Photo TH

“There are still households arbitrarily converting production from growing agricultural crops to growing perennial crops inside and outside the corridor, violating the safety corridor of the power grid. People's awareness of ensuring the safety of the power grid corridor is still low, requiring compensation at too high a price. Meanwhile, the government and district-level agencies support the Electricity sector in protecting the power grid corridor, but some communes have not coordinated closely, leading to unsafe management and operation of the power grid system. These are the shortcomings that the sector will coordinate with functional agencies and local authorities to overcome in the coming time.”

Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade

Many places carry out construction works and destroy safety warning signs of the power grid management and operation unit. Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company branch digs drainage ditches at Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park, violating the 110kV power line corridor. Photo: TH

To ensure the safety corridor of the power grid, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns are requested to join the electricity sector in preventing, handling and clearing violations of the power grid safety corridor, and handling and clearing trees inside and outside the corridor that are at risk of falling or colliding, causing power grid incidents. Disseminate information on the protection of the high-voltage power grid safety corridor to the people. Coordinate with the electricity sector in drawing up administrative violation records and issuing decisions on administrative sanctions for violations of the high-voltage power grid safety corridor.

When allocating land and forests to households in areas where power lines pass through, local authorities must have a clear mechanism for planting trees in the power grid corridor and trees outside the corridor near the power lines, so that people are not allowed to plant timber trees or fast-growing trees inside and outside the corridor causing power grid incidents. In addition, authorities at all levels when allocating land and granting construction permits must pay attention to the power grid safety corridor according to Decree No. 14/2014/ND-CP dated February 26, 2014 of the Prime Minister...