Hydropower reservoirs nearly empty despite rains

The heavy rains over the last 10 days or so have not made any difference to the hydropower situation in the country, Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said today. 

Addressing journalists during a media briefing on the current power situation, the Minister revealed that the water level at hydropower reservoirs have gone up by just 5 per cent after the rains."Only the Kukuleganga reservior reached spill level during rains and that is a very small reservoir," he noted. The current capacity of major hydropower reservoirs is hovering at about 35 per cent, the lowest such level at this time period over the past decade, Mr. Siyambalapitiya added. 

Despite the difficult situation, the Government was determined not to enact any power cuts, he insisted. Instead, the Government hopes to introduce several measures aimed at conserving electricity. 

The measures include replacing incandescent bulbs with LED ones, controling minimum temperature of Air Conditioners to 26 Degrees Celsius and issuing a circular instructing local Government institutions to switch on their street lamps one hour after normal time in the evening and one hour earlier than normal in the mornings. In addition, the CEB is also to introduce several programs to reward customers who save more electricity. 

 

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