Archives

Of power requirements and the public interest

A letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Power and Energy, from the Secretary to the President, reproduced by us, covers almost the entire gamut of issues on the power and energy constraints facing the country. More than occasional power breakdowns and blackouts, punctuated by a sudden fire at a plant recently, at the Kelanitissa power station, increase the salience of the issues raised in the letter.

The suspicion that the "nation is being kept in the dark" about the actual power situation, makes a reply to the letter doubly significant and urgent. While the Government has been waxing lyrical about self-sufficiency in power, the experience of the common man contradicts this proud boast. Why are power breakdowns being foist on the country if we are self-sufficient? In any case, what new power projects have been launched over the past three years to satisfy our requirements?

These questions would need to be answered fully and unhesitatingly if the view that a massive "sabotage" effort is underway is to be rebutted. The rumour doing the rounds is that our power-generation capacity has been deliberately allowed to hit rock bottom. Why now? "The answer my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind".

Accordingly, this is a crisis-in-waiting which would throw the future governments development plans into confusion. If that is so, this smacks of a sinister, Machiavellian ploy which would put paid to all our development hopes.

As in the case of most public sector crises, it is the people who would suffer intensely but mutely, when a power crisis breaks out. Therefore, we call on all relevant parties to ensure the common good, come what may.

Nevertheless, we call the attention of the authorities to the last point in the letter to the Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary. That is, what contingency plans are in place to meet our urgent power requirements in the context of power breakdowns?

Let us not be in the familiar situation of sitting in the darkness for long hours amid months-long power crunches. That was the consequence of being taken completely off guard. Let this not be the people's lot.

Protecting marine life

The expression "in the doldrums" refers to an area in the ocean with no winds and no sign of anything moving. Seafarers dreaded such zones, for it could stall their ships for days on end. A worse fate has now befallen the dwellers of the deep seas themselves.

The rapid spread of oxygen-starved "dead zones" in the oceans is threatening the existence of marine animal and plant life. There are nearly 150 such "graveyards of the oceans", ranging in size from one square kilometre to 70,000 square kilometres. They have emerged as a threat to the health of the planet, an environmental seminar in Seoul was told yesterday.

For millions of people who depend on oceans for their livelihoods, and for many more who rely on a diet of fish and seafood to survive, the problem is acute.

It is not difficult to guess the culprit responsible for this disaster: Man. Pollution, particularly the overuse of nitrogen in fertiliser, is responsible for the spread of dead zones. Nearly 160 million tonnes of nitrogen used as fertiliser annually ends up in the sea where it triggers an explosive bloom of algae. When algae sink to the bottom and decompose, they use up all the oxygen and suffocate other marine life. Fossil fuel waste from vehicles and power plants also increases nitrogen content in oceans.

The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that urgent action must be taken to prevent the spread of dead zones. There is no evidence yet that dead zones exist in the seas surrounding Sri Lanka. But it is not a problem that we can afford to ignore.

Urgent steps are therefore needed to assess whether any areas in our territorial waters could turn into dead zones. This is vital because a large number of persons are engaged in fisheries. Fish is also the biggest source of animal protein for the majority of the population here.

Being primarily an agricultural nation, Sri Lanka cannot ignore the root cause of the crisis. The heavy use of nitrogen-based fertiliser and the proximity of most agricultural areas to the sea compound the problem. Agriculture authorities must look into the possibility of popularising organic methods for cultivation so that the use of artificial fertiliser can be minimised.

Life began in the seas. It is our responsibility to ensure that it continues to thrive there unhindered.

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.ppilk.com

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager