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| Wednesday, 20 February 2002 |
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by Ranil Wijayapala The Power and Energy Ministry has enforced lighting control regulations with immediate effect to save power in the wake of the present crisis. The Ministry in a special gazette notification issued on Monday enforced these regulations under the Lighting Control Ordinance (Chapter 42) for a one year period commencing February 18. According to these regulations, no person shall be allowed to use electricity supplied from the National Grid to light any premises in which a carnival, a festival or a fair is held, to decorate any building with either white or colour bulbs, light any sign board, advertisement board or shop window or to light any garden or a fountain. Under these regulations, street lighting will be allowed only from 7 p.m. to 5.30 a.m. and every person entrusted with the duty of switching on and turning off streets lights is required to implement these regulations. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) also will take action to remove bulbs if it finds any illuminated bulbs after this period. Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya also requested the public to cooperate with the Ministry by using their own energy sources to operate air conditioners within this crisis period. The CEB is now facing a deep crisis due to the drastic reduction in water levels, limiting hydroelectricity generation to only 20 to 25 days. However, the Government gave an assurance last week that existing power cuts will not be further increased despite this situation and Minister Karu Jayasuriya promised to solve the crisis within three months once and for all. The recorded capacity of the reservoirs was 17.8 per cent by yesterday compelling the CEB to use maximum thermal power generation. The CEB expects to save at least 10 MW of power by enforcing these regulations. |
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