‘Situation will worsen unless enough fuel stocks arrive’

By Rathindra Kuruwita

If the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) didn’t secure sufficient fuel stocks for the months of March and April, Sri Lanka could expect three to five hours of power cuts daily, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake said yesterday.

Ratnanayke said what the country was experiencing was not a power crisis but a fuel crisis. Diesel power plants that produced over 400 megawatts of electricity were idling for want of fuel, Ratnayake said.

“We have asked people to reduce their electricity consumption, but the response is not encouraging. GCE A/L students are facing difficulties because load shedding takes place in both day and night. This is something we tried to avoid, but unfortunately we have no other option,” Ratnayake said.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday night decided that funds should be allocated for an uninterrupted fuel supply. They approved the payment of USD 35.3 million for diesel carried by a tanker that arrived in Sri Lanka a few days ago. Subsequently, 37,500 litres of diesel were being unloaded. Another ship carrying 37,500 litres of petrol too was unloading yesterday.

“There is enough fuel now. There is no need to queue up at filling stations,” Minister of Environment, Mahinda Amaraweera told The Island yesterday.

General Secretary of the All Ceylon Private Bus Owners Association Anjana Priyanjith has warned that private buses will cease operations from tomorrow (25), if adequate stocks of diesel are not made available by today.