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Day night power cuts from today

In order to ensure adequate drinking water to the Greater Colombo area and Kandy, and also to ensure water requirements for irrigation, the CEB is compelled to restrict power generation at the Laxapana complex and Mahaweli complex, says a press release issued by the Ministry of Power and Energy.

Water situation in all four major reservoirs has depleted to a critical situation and hence power cut has been extended to 5 hours, the release said.

Thus, from today (March 1) there will be a 2 1/2 hour power cut during day time and another 2 1/2 hour power cut at night.

The CEB release:

"Drinking water for Greater Colombo has to be maintained at any cost. This depends on a steady flow to the Ambatale pumping station, which has to be maintained for a prolonged period up at-least May. Thus the generation at the hydro power complexes including Canyon, Norton, Laxapana and Polpitiya has to be in a regulated manner to conserve water in the reservoirs and release them gradually along Kelani River. This restricts the power generation at the Laxapana Complex.

The power at Kotmale Power Station has to be regulated to enable Kandy drinking water for a prolonged period. This imposes restrictions on the generation at the Mahaweli complex.

Further, water requirements for irrigation has also become acute. It is now the season where ripening of paddy is occurring. For this purpose water has to be diverted at Polgolla without sending the same through major generating plants of Victoriya, Randenigala and Rantembe power plants. This also aggravates the situation.

All possible steps has taken to repair and put back to service thermal power plants. The 20 MW new plant at Matara is accelerated and is expected to be commissioned before commissioning date of 27 March, 2002. It will enter trial run by the 6th March 2002.

All steps have been taken by the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Ministry of Power and Energy to purchase private power on an emergency basis. Emergency power purchases are now planned for 150MW; 35MW are already generating. Steps have been taken to reduce the consumption from the CEB Hydro Plants by adding purchases from private hoteliers, industries, etc. who have their own self generation. Government sector institutions such as the Ports Authority also use their generators for power to relieve the CEB.

In spite of all these steps, the water situation in the four reservoirs has depleted. This relates to all reservoirs.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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