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| Saturday, 31 January 2004 |
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Power and Energy Minister karu Jayasuriya yesterday called on the public to reduce electricity consumption by at least 10 percent due to the drought in the country. "All of us can comply with this request in a way most convenient to us without delay. The best way we can co-operate is to confine electricity consumption to absolute necessities. Bulbs can be lit where absolutely necessary. Electric irons, fans, ovens etc. can be used in a way that maximum energy conservation could be effected," the Minister said in a release. Jayasuriya said not only in homes, but also in offices, factories and local government institutions, maximum energy conservation should be adopted. The Minister requested to implement the following suggestions: Light only 50 percent of street lamps, lighting of street lamps can be done half an hour late and switched off half an hour in advance, where possible, use electrical bulbs with lower consumption of energy and abstain from using electricity for lighting billboards etc. He said limiting the use of neon lights up to 10 p.m. and minimising the use of airconditioners will contribute to the conservation of electrical energy. Institutions having power generators can use them during this period to obtain energy requirements, Jayasuriya said. He said conservation of electricity will not only be very productive at national level, but save on monthly expenses on electricity. The Minister said: "This drought has exerted a drastic impact on power generation. Water levels in reservoirs harnessed for power generation have been drastically reduced over the last few weeks. The total volume of water in all these reservoirs has been reduced to 27.4 percent of their capacity as at January 28, 2004. Water in Mahaweli reservoirs, important for power generation, is also used for rice cultivation in the Rajarata as a compulsory requirement. "Meanwhile, consumption of electrical energy is on the increase. Today it has reached an average of 23 million units. "As a result of the reduction of water levels, hydro power generation has to be limited and thermal power generation has to be increased to meet the resulting shortfall. An increase in thermal power generation leads to an increase in the use of fuel oil by the CEB at considerable expense. Meeting an additional expenditure of this nature under the present economic conditions is difficult. |
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