News
Low-fuel flashing light on; country grinding to a halt
View(s):- Govt. lacks solution as motorists spend days in kilometres-long queues; unrest at several sheds
- Health sector faces collapse; doctors and surgeons go through agony at fuel sheds
- School van and bus operators demand special arrangements to obtain diesel
- Fish industry partially paralysed; one-third of boats not going to sea; prices skyrocket
By Sandun Jayawardana
As the last vessel carrying a stock of 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of diesel imported under the USD 500 million Indian credit line reached the country on Thursday (16), the Government admitted it did not know when the next fuel shipment would arrive. While the last diesel shipment would allow the authorities to manage diesel distribution with existing stocks till June 21, the petrol stocks would not last till then, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara told a media conference.
Even as the minister spoke, queues stretching more than two kilometres had formed outside many filling stations in the country, with people camping out for days waiting for petrol and diesel. A 53-year-old three-wheeler driver who had been waiting in line for fuel in Wekada, Panadura died of a heart attack on Thursday.
In the face of shortages, Sri Lankans are relying on a variety of avenues, including word-of-mouth, social media pages and groups as well as messaging apps to find fuel. It is becoming an ever more difficult hunt. Many who spoke to the Sunday Timessaid they had been forced to drastically cut down their travel. Those who are within walking distance of filling stations are parking their vehicles and sending family members to stay “on rotation” over several days until fuel arrives.
Long snaking fuel queue close to the Town Hall, Colombo. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
But many have been left disappointed. “We use the car sparingly to save fuel. But, we need to send our four-year-old to his school, and as it is away from bus routes, public transport is not an option. Two nights ago we almost made it to the top of the line and lost our chance at getting fuel,” said Chamindra Warusawitharane from Horana.
The health sector too has been hit hard. Heart surgeries have been curtailed at the National Hospital due to doctors and health staff spending 6-10 hours even in filling stations allocated to essential services. Consultants at the Apeksha Hospital have also warned that their services are in danger of collapse due to the fuel shortage.
Yesterday, the Peradeniya University announced it was closing due to the prevailing situation, instructing students to vacate hostels and the university premises with immediate effect. All Government and Government-approved private schools in the Colombo city limits will be closed next week, the Education Ministry said.
The diesel shortage has also curtailed public transport, resulting in many commuters having to travel in severely overcrowded buses and trains. Images and videos of passengers hanging precariously from the doors of buses and trains and even traveling on train roofs went viral on social media throughout this week.
Fishermen unable to go out to sea due to the diesel shortage in Modara. Pic by Rekha Tharangani
Only about 20 percent of private buses were currently on the road owing to the diesel shortage, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) chief Gemunu Wijeratne told the Sunday Times. “We have asked the CPC to issue us 600,000 litres of diesel per day to run at least 50 percent of our buses. If this happens, we could serve some four million passengers a day. Then we can manage this situation for the next two weeks,” Mr Wijeratne said.
Even if this is done, buses will still be overcrowded, he cautioned. “There is no solution to overcrowding, as we will still only be able to run about 7,000 to 7,500 buses from a fleet of 13,000.”
Education Minister Susil Premajayantha met representatives of All Ceylon School Children’s Transport Association on Friday to discuss issuing diesel to school vans. The representatives pointed out that though the Government had earlier instructed Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots to issue diesel to school vans, this was not being properly implemented in many areas, the association’s President Lalith Chandrasiri Fernando said.
“The minister asked us to provide a detailed list of our vans and how much fuel they will need per day and per week. We are working on that now and hope a solution can be found as many students rely on us to travel to and from school,” he said.
Some one-third of fishermen engaged in day-fishing using small boats are not going out to sea due to kerosene being in short supply, said Herman Kumara, Coordinator of the National Fisheries Solidarity Organisation. The distance fishermen can travel out to sea has also been reduced due to them being issued a reduced quota of kerosene.
Meanwhile, about 1,500 multi-day fishing trawlers have also been unable to go out to sea due to the diesel shortage, he added. Consequently, prices of fish have increased rapidly.
There have been angry scenes outside many filling stations in recent days with stocks running out, leaving motorists who have waited for hours, sometimes even days disappointed.
Six policemen were injured and ten persons were arrested at a filling station in Athurugiriya on Friday night as police clashed with angry motorists.
Police Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa claimed the clash occurred as some in the crowd broke down the station’s gate and attacked officers after fuel ran out.
Meanwhile, an inquiry is underway into an incident where a police officer with a pistol in his hand was filmed manhandling a motorcyclist during a disturbance outside a filling station in Kurunegala. SSP Thalduwa said the officer had claimed he pulled out the gun due to fears that someone would snatch it from his holster.
While the distribution of fuel is controlled, the biggest problem is the conduct of the police, charged Kumara Rajapakse, President of the Petrol Shed Owners’ Association.
“In many cases, police aren’t doing anything and are standing passively by as thugs attack pump attendants and managers at filling stations. In every fuel queue, you get elements who want to create problems once stocks run out. The police need to control the queues and do their duty if trouble breaks out,” he said.
The police are not directly involved in fuel distribution, SSP Thalduwa noted. Officers assigned to filling stations are also not issued with weapons, he added. “They have been instructed to resolve any issues through negotiation, but we have seen several instances where people have attacked officers once stocks run out. There is no point in blaming the police for fuel scarcities,” he said.
A certain quota of fuel is also reserved for police vehicles by virtue of them being essential services, he added. “If police vehicles had to queue up for fuel for hours and days then police work will be affected. It is unfair to demand that police vehicles queue with the others since a quota has always been set aside for them at certain stations. But action will be taken if evidence comes to light that officers abused their authority to obtain fuel,” the SSP said.
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