The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has reiterated its call to respect right-of-way (ROW) clearance of transmission lines after violations caused power interruptions in Samar and Leyte last month.

In a statement yesterday, NGCP made an appeal for the support of the public to keep ROW clearances free of any and all obstructions.

“While NGCP continues to work towards improving power transmission lines and facilities, we depend on our partner communities to help us maintain over 20,000 circuit kilometers of transmission lines. These right-of-way violations and the subsequent power interruption and inconvenience to consumers it usually brings are avoidable,” the grid operator said.

Last month, NGCP recorded several instances of ROW violations in Samar and Leyte.

It said a coconut tree breached the ROW clearance of the Borongan-Quinapondan 69-kV line last Jan. 17, affecting the supply of Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc.

Customers of five electric cooperatives – Biliran Electric Cooperative, Leyte V Electric Cooperative (Leyeco V), Leyte III Electric Cooperative (Leyeco III), and Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative  – suffered from power interruptions after a bamboo scaffolding fell on the Ormoc-Lemon-Tolosa-San Isidro 69kV line the same day.

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