TAIF — High voltage power lines pose threat to the safety of about 8,000 people living in residential areas north of Taif. Despite recommendations from a government committee for their removal, these lines have remained there for the last 30 years. They pose danger to a furniture factory, wedding halls and houses with more than 8,000 occupants. A number of warehouses, plants, houses and large wedding halls lie along the 10 km path of theses lines. A recent fire at a wooden furniture plant would have burned the power lines, had it not been for the plant's concrete roof. According to the minutes of a meeting of the government committee, a wooden furniture factory situated directly below the power lines, posing a great risk. In addition, trucks frequenting the warehouses in the area may collide with electric towers along the street. The committee had recommended relocating the power lines or replacing them with underground lines. The owner of a furniture plant said his plant contains electronic equipment worth millions of riyals and a large number of workers. In addition, the local roads are accessed by a large number of trucks and a possible accident involving a power tower will be catastrophic. He said for over 30 years, the residents have been asking for the relocation of these power lines, but to no avail. In 1402AH, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs asked the Taif municipality to coordinate with the electric company to identify the path of the power lines, and the property within the path. It also requested for the expropriation of those properties and compensating the owners. The director of the electric company in Taif said that there is a plan to replace these lines with underground cables. Work is under way, extending over hundreds of kilometers, he added. Amr Al-Aziby, a lawyer and judicial consultant, said as per Shariah law, the owner of a site also owns whatever is above the site. He added that there are many laws that can deal with this issue, but the problem lies in applying and enforcing these laws. There are those who override the law and get away unpunished.
