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Restored Kelanitissa power plant shut down again after four days of use

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By Shiran Ranasinghe

The Combined Cycle Power Plant at Kelanitissa was closed down again on Thursday night due to a shortage of naphtha.The plant is capable of producing 165 megawatts of electricity a day with naphtha.CEB Technological Engineers’ and Superintendents’ Union President, A.G.U. Nishantha, said that the plant needed10,000 tonnes of naphtha a day but the CEB had only ordered adequate quantities for four days.

“So, we operated the plant for a few days and had to shut it down. Recently we refurbished the plant at a cost of 3.2 million US dollars. Since then we have been able to operate the plant only for four days,” he said.

Nishantha said the plant was shut down for 585 days from October 2019. An audit report found that the country incurred a loss of 21.5 billion rupees as the CEB had to procure electricity from diesel powered plants to bridge the gap.

“The plant was refurbished afterwards. We spent 3.1 million dollars to fix some pieces of equipment. We sent it to a foreign country. But it broke down again the day we used the refurbished equipment. We then brought down some Chinese engineers and paid them 150,000 dollars to fix the machines. After all these costs, we only used the plant for 800 hours in 2022. It costs about 40 rupees to produce electricity from Naphtha,” he said, adding that electricity produced with naphtha cost less than that generated with coal.



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Pope Leo appeals for no more war in first Sunday address

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Pope Leo called for a "lasting peace" in the war in Ukraine and said he was "deeply hurt" by events in Gaza [BBC]

Pope Leo XIV appealed for “no more war” in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican.

Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday’s agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.

He said he was “deeply hurt” by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a “lasting accord” between India and Pakistan, and wished for a “authentic, true and lasting peace” in Ukraine.

The Pope also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.

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May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM

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In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings

The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:

“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.

Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.

This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.

I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.

May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”

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Special waste management programme launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” during the State Vesak Festival

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Parallel  with the State Vesak Festival that commenced on Saturday (10) in the Nuwara Eliya District, a special waste management initiative has been launched under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme to enhance facilities for devotees and ensure proper waste disposal in the city of Nuwara Eliya.

With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit Nuwara Eliya during the Vesak Week, from May 10 to 16, this initiative is aimed at preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the area.

The programme will focus particularly on areas around the Gregory Lake, a key tourist attraction, and the Nuwara Eliya International Buddhist Centre, the venue for the State Vesak Festival.

In addition, the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative urges visiting devotees to refrain from bringing non-biodegradable material such as polythene and calls on all citizens to act responsibly by properly disposing of waste only at designated locations, while maintaining the sanctity and cleanliness of the environment.

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