Sri Lanka imposes power cuts again after Vesak holidays

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will impose power cuts for Tuesday (17) up to 3 hours and 40 minutes, again after two days of continuous power supply on vesak holidays, Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said amid threats of the longer daily power cut duration – as high as  15 hours.

All areas (ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW) will have power cuts of 2 hours from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and 1 hour and 40 minutes from 5.00 pm and 8.50 pm.

Between 6.00 am and 9.00 am, the Colombo City center could face a power cut of three hours.

Board of Investments, Industrial zones coming under MNOXY and Z areas will have a power cut of three hours from 5.00 am and 8.00 am.

On Monday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said “there is a possibility that the daily power outages will increase to 15 hours a day”, citing lack of fuel for thermal power generation.

The state-run Ceylon Electricity Board said the supply interruption time and restoration time will be varied within 30 minutes as indicated above. Please click here for the schedule.

With demand decreasing during the weekend due to the Vesak holiday and curfew, no power cuts were imposed on May 15 and 16.

In fuel supply, Shantha Silva, the joint secretary of Sri Lanka Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association (SLPPTOA), said diesel distribution for all places have been resumed on Monday (16) with a diesel cargo of 40,000 arriving at Sri Lanka on Sunday (15).

“Prioritizing the diesel we started delivering the fuel to all places from Monday onward,” Silva told reporters on Monday.

“There is a shortage of Petrol, however according to our information a Petrol cargo will also arrive today, with that I believe the supply will be maintained.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera said three more fuel ships under the Indian Credit line is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka in the next 2 weeks and adequate fuel will be made available.

“I request the public not to queue up or top up the next 3 days until the 1190 fuel station deliveries are completed,” Wijesekara said in his Twitter platform. (Colombo/ May 17/2022)