Sunday Apr 28, 2024
Sunday Apr 28, 2024
Friday, 1 April 2022 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
Unavailability of sufficient power plants to cater to the growing electricity demand and lower water levels at reservoirs to generate hydro power were underlined as key reasons for the prevailing long hours of load shedding by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said yesterday.
“The power generation capacity in Sri Lanka is limited under normal conditions,” she told journalists at a special media briefing on ‘Power Crisis’ organised by the Presidential Media Centre yesterday. Minister Wanniarachchi said a four-hour power cut was imposed during dry weather conditions even during 2019, when the country had not gone through a pandemic or an economic turmoil.
“It is time people understand that during the dry season, historically the country had experienced power generation with the drop in water levels of hydro power generators,” the Minister added.
She also pointed out that the non-implementation of power plants since 2014 to meet the electrician demand had been a major cause for the current power shortage as well.
“We had got the Government of India to build Sampur power plant, but following the administration change in 2014, these plans were not taken forward. As a reflection of it, today we are experiencing power disruptions,” she explained.
The Minister also pointed out that water levels at all reservoirs are very low and only 20% of power is generated through hydropower plants at present.
As per the latest data, she said water levels of reservoirs in Samanalawewa is at 12.6%, Kotmale at 19%, Castlereagh at 7.9% and Maussakelle at 27% at present.
Minister Wanniarachchi explained that in 2020 electricity consumption reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as a reflection there was no power crisis in 2021, as well at heavy rainfall experienced in the catchment areas of reservoirs throughout the year.
“In 2020, we were able to generate 50% of power through hydropower plants and we did not feel the impact till late last year,” she said, arguing how power can be generated if the water levels of reservoirs are low at present.
She assured that the Government is taking steps to construct power plants required for the country.
When asked if the Parliament quarters were exempted from scheduled power cuts, Minister Wanniarachchi refuted such claims as false.
She added that the relevant list which is being circulated on social media was a list released during the initial stages of the power cuts.
The Minister also said till Wednesday there were no power disruptions to 165 feeders providing electricity to essential institutions including ports, hospitals and export processing zones (EPZs).
“This is one of the reasons that certain houses and areas connected to such feeders did not experience power cuts,” Wanniarachchi explained.
However she said that officials have been informed to impose power cuts at ground level when practically possible to do so, while avoiding essential services institutions.
