Darkness looms over SL as power crisis deepens

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 February 2002, 16:43 GMT]
The United National Front government Thursday announced that the present two and a half hour power cut would be extended to five hours from Friday as the water level of the reservoirs has decreased drastically. The Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe would issue a statement Friday regarding the island's power crisis, government officials said.

"From Friday there would be two and a half hour power cut in day and also in night", Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) sources said.

Last week the Prime Minister instructed the Power and Energy ministry officials not to extend the power cut time under any circumstances. He also advised the officials to find an alternative way to overcome the power crisis not depending on the rain.

CEB officials Said Thursday that the situation has got out of hand, and there was no other alternative other than increasing the power cut time to five hours- two and half hours in day and two and a half hours at night.

Meanwhile Power and Energy Minister Mr.Karu Jayasuriya said," a permanent solution to the present power crisis would be found in seven weeks time."

The Ceylon Electricity Board sources said Thursday that the water level Of the hydropower reservoirs has decreased drastically to such an extent that turbines cannot be activated properly.

"The daily requirement of power is seventeen million units. Of that 10.5 million units will be supplied by thermal power and the rest by hydro power", said the Deputy General manager of the CEB.