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Light respite
for New Year, but a water cut looms
By Shelani Perera
The CEB is to relax the power cut for the Sinhala and Tamil New
Year, despite little improvement in the power situation, Power and
Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya said. Minister Jayasuriya said that
as the New Year is a national festival, the CEB was currently studying
the issue and a final decision will be taken within the next few
days,
Meanwhile a CEB official said that relaxing the power cut during
the New Year will not affect the power situation, since consumption
will be at a minimum as it will be a holiday with all industrial
establishments closed. "Domestic consumption is very low compared
to industrial consumption. Although there has been a slight improvement
in the water levels of the hydro power reservoirs compared to last
week, we still need a lot of rain to restore them to a normal level"
he said.
Meanwhile the Water Board warned that if the water levels in the
reservoirs releasing water to the Kelani Ganga drop further, leading
to less hydro power being produced, there is a possibility of a
water cut in the Colombo area. "We are satisfied with the present
situation, but if there is inadequate rain it will lead to a drop
in the water levels. The situation at the end of March was very
bad but now it has improved.
We usually pump about 25 million gallons from the Kalatuwawa reservoir
which has now been reduced to 22 million gallons" an official
at the Water Board said.
According to the Meteorological Department the country is experiencing
inter-monsoon rains which will spread to the hydro catchment areas
within the next few weeks.
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