News
Public angered by bad communication, lack of backup
Nishanthi de Silva.
This week’s power cuts drew angry reactions from the public, with some saying officials should take more responsibility to ensure regular electricity supply is maintained.
Niroshan Kumara, 20, engineering student: “We depend on this sole grid. Even if there is a minute’s fault somewhere the entire system goes down and everybody is affected. Why didn’t they have any backup system?
“It’s time to think about the future of the country and the introduction of a better vision. We have enough sunlight and water – why can’t we generate power from that? The government just appoints commissions and we have not seen the reports of many commissions.”
Indrani Perera, 36, housewife from Trincomalee: “Customers are threatened with disconnection if we don’t pay on time but we are not informed about what’s happening in the country. We had a 10-hour power cut without any information being given.
“I tried calling the CEB [Ceylon Electricity Board] to check when the power would come back but the CEB officials never answered and instead a recording goes on telling us, ‘check your mains and trip’ and asking if we had paid our bill on time. It would be much appreciated if they put a recording on the phone to inform people about the countrywide blackout situation. The CEB website has no information about current interruptions either.”
M. Mohanadass, 58, retired: “Last Sunday was not the first instance where we experienced an islandwide power outage for many hours after the new government came in to power.
Niroshan Kumara
“We can’t put the blame on solely the government but we, the public, don’t know what is going on inside these offices. I think there need to be regular maintenance procedures to identify faults and restore power.”
D.W.S.K. Dissanayake, 23, university student: “We’re not satisfied with the quality of the power generation system. China must have installed an old power plant in Norochcholai – probably one that had been removed from somewhere else on completion of its useful life.
“Since the installation it has broken number of times. I would say it’s a liability more than an asset to the country. The CEB engineers were denied a say in the whole thing.”
Nishanthi de Silva, 48: “Electricity is a basic facility that a government needs to provide for people.
“I voted UNP hoping that it would bring a change in the country but the current government is not able to give stable electricity. Even during the armed conflict people did not experience these kinds of prolonged blackouts. This is a failed government that has disappointed people.”
Lakmal Cooray, 35, Kotahena resident: “We need to question the safety of the people in the country on countrywide blackout. Not only the CEB chairman but all top management should resign after taking the responsibility for the shameful power failures.
“On the countrywide blackout day a burglary occurred in my house and mobile phones, a gas cylinder, a laptop and jewellery was robbed. Moreover, I had to postpone my daughter’s birthday party, which fell last Sunday, and I still don’t know when I can hold it. The officials of the CEB should give the public a proper date rather than keep telling us it would be over by the next day or the next morning.”
M. Mohanadass
Shantha Hettiarachchi, trishaw driver: “We (consumers) pay the CEB one of the highest rates for power and get bad service.
“What is the point of this schedules list? It is impossible to figure out when the power cut will affect us and to plan our daily lives because we are not sure about power failure times.”
Gavin Nilaxsen, 17: “We can’t do anything without power. When CEB chairman offered his resignation and the minister rejected it they were fooling the people.
“When these things happen, someone has to take responsibility. There’s no point in officials saying that they will be held responsible and resign. They should have done something to fix the problem in at least in couple of days.”
Indrani Perera
D.W.S.K. Dissanayake