Botswana Power Corporation is undertaking power line servitudes clearance exercise countrywide. This is basically the cutting of trees interfering with electricity Transmission and Distribution lines, causing electrical faults in most areas around the country.
BPC is undertaking the exercise to cut down trees in line with its mandate to ensure reliability and continuity of power supply as well as zero harm to members of the public, animals and the electricity infrastructure itself.
During rainy weather, trees get wet which increases their conductivity as current will be diverted from the high voltage power lines to the tree and the ground causing earth fault. During windy weather power lines that run parallel across the tree branches are made to clash with each other as the trees shake, thereby introducing a short circuit as the electricity infrastructure protection system performs its functions, thereby cutting off power supply.
Botswana Power Corporation is working hand in hand with environmental experts to ensure that the tree cutting exercise is undertaken in an environmentally sensitive manner. The Corporation thus pleads with the public for their utmost tolerance and cooperation as the exercise is undertaken in the spirit of improving reliability of power supply.
As the tree cutting exercise is undertaken, there will be planned power interruptions that will be experienced in different areas of the country as per BPC’s ongoing planned outage communication. The planned power interruptions are mainly done to ensure safety of public, workmen and the environment during the tree cutting exercise. BPC’s valued customers are therefore cautioned to maintain safe distance away from the ongoing works to prevent any possible harm during the tree cutting exercise.
We regret the inconvenience that may be brought by this exercise and look forward to your cooperation throughout the exercise.
For any further enquiry you may contact BPC Contact Centre on 16266 or send SMS to 7711 0000/ 7460 0900, email: contactcentre@bpc.bw.
