BUSH FIRE DAMAGES ELECTRICITY POLES IN MADI OKOLLO DISTRICT

By Albert Onzoma

Arua City

Bushfires threaten electrical infrastructure by damaging transmission lines and critical components in Madi Okollo district.

West Nile Rural Electrification Company is now facing widespread outages and hefty repair costs as a result of the rampant reckless bush burning.

Lillian Ayot the public relations officer of WENRECO says since at the onset of the dry season the wild bush fires have caused unprecedented damage to electricity infrastructure, mainly electric poles and transmission wires which affects power supply.

“This year has started on a bad note for us WENRECO, where we have experienced four incidences of bush burning in Madi Okollo district, we had one on Monday in Okollo, and second and third occurred on Wednesday in Okollo and Ajai game reserve and fourth one occurred Friday. Our rescue team are on ground handling the situation. This rampant bush burnings have very big impact on us the company and on our customers because it causes interruption on power supply and then customers whose businesses rely on power are affected”.

Bernard Kimeze the environment health and safety officer of WENRECO says bush fires are always caused due to the bad act exhibited by communities where individuals set fire while hunting, opening land for cultivation and for stimulating fresh pasture grass growth for livestock which sparks fires.

“Bushfires are not good at all because when the fire enters an electrical infrastructure, it destroys the infrastructures and the properties around it affects power supply and service delivery in West Nile region, when the electric poles fall down they destroy equipment, and some of them may still carry electrons which is very dangerous when it comes in contact with life.”

Rose Obiga the woman Member of Parliament of Terego district states that most of the trees she planted have been destroyed due to uncontrolled bush burning.

“I went into agriculture and I have so far raised over five million tree seedlings but because of these bush burning most of the trees have been burned and destroyed by bushfires”

Normally In the dry months of December, January and February, fields in most rural parts of the country go up in flames due to reckless bush burning destroying soil organisms, soil texture, soil fertility, vegetation cover leading to soil erosion, air pollution, destroys insects and animals habitats, pastures and water shed points which Contributes to global warming.