Power Cuts extended due to fuel & water shortage

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has sought permission from the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to extend the duration of power cuts due to a shortage of fuel for Thermal Power Plants that generate 300 MW of electricity.

According to the CEB, the generation of power from the Samanala-wewa and Castlereigh Reservoirs will be suspended after next Friday, given the lack of sufficient water capacity for hydropower generation.

CEB General Manager, D. C. R. Abeysekera said that the water capacity of the Samanala-wewa Reservoir has dropped to 11.8% due to the prevailing dry weather, while the Castlereigh Reservoir only has 8.4 percent of capacity.

The capacity at the Maussakelle Reservoir has dropped to 27.8 percent and Kotmale Reservoir has dropped to 20.6 percent.

Victoria Reservoir's capacity is now at 30 percent and the capacity of Randenigala Reservoir is at 58 percent.

He pointed out that hydropower generation has been disrupted as agricultural activities are also carried out using the water from these reservoirs.