Bozhou, Anhui province: Two brocade banners that cannot be sent out

On Sept 19, the Shihe Central Power Supply Office of the Qiaocheng branch of the State Grid Anhui Bozhou Power Supply Company, to the sound of suona (a double-reed woodwind instrument) horns, Director Liu Sihua and Customer Manager Wang Xianfeng respectively received two "old" brocade banners.

"This banner has been ready for more than three months, and it's about to be put away. You just wouldn't let us send it. This time, we came here secretly." Sun Fanxiu, the villager representative of Sunxinzhuang, Sunwa administrative village, Shihe town, could not hide his gratitude.

In July 2023, due to an increase in power load in Sunxinzhuang, the original 100 KVA distribution transformer could no longer meet the demand. Upon learning of this situation, Liu Sihua promptly reported a capacity expansion plan. After receiving approval, he led his colleagues in implementing the construction, successfully increasing the transformer capacity to 200 KVA. However, while clearing tree barriers alongside the low-voltage lines, Liu Sihua encountered a significant obstacle, forcing the halt of the upcoming high and low voltage line reconstruction. Despite the increased transformer capacity, the thin diameter of the low-voltage lines, coupled with their aging, resulted in the malfunctioning of high-power electrical appliances such as air conditioners in the village.

The interests of the masses are never trivial. Therefore, Liu Sihua repeatedly discussed with the person in charge of the local village committee and communicated with the owner of the tree for many times, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him. On Feb 20, 2024, the owner of the tree finally agreed to clean up.

On Feb 27, following a heavy snowfall, the weather became exceptionally cold. Liu Sihua, along with his colleague Wang Xianfeng and others, initiated the task of clearing tree obstructions. Without hesitation, the construction team, under the premise of implementing various safety measures, proceeded with pole erection, pole climbing and line installation. All work was carried out in an orderly manner. By mid-May, the construction personnel had erected 23 new high and low voltage poles and updated a total of 2,760 meters of high and low voltage lines. Additionally, 378 tree obstructions were cleared, and 32 vehicle trips were dispatched.