Power lines upset locals

THABAZIMBI – Locals were getting hot under the cover at a public participation meeting in Thabazimbi on Thursday 17 April about six 765kV power lines which Escom are planning to erect within the next four years.
Electricity which will be generated at the coal fields north of Lephalale. Power supplies from here and Botswana will be carried through the Waterberg area from a proposed substation near the Madupi Power Station to a proposed power station in Potchefstroom.
It remains uncertain whether the power lines will be brought south in three separate corridors, of 160m wide each, or a single one which will be a minimum of 500m wide.
Most of the complaints from locals centred around eco-developments around Thabazimbi, which will be negatively affected by the power lines, visual degradation of the bushveld environment which attract many tourists, irrigation farmers who will suffer logistically and vulture casualties which might occur from vultures connecting power lines.
According to developers erecting power lines further west in the drier, less attractive western section would be a better option, an opinion which some farmers on the west would be likely to object to.
The scoping report for the power lines are currently available at the Thabazimbi library for inspection by the public. The environmental assessment is being done by Margen Industrial Services. A follow-up meeting will be held on 10 May at a venue to be published later.