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Udaya warns of longer power cuts as situation deteriorates further

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

‘Electricity deficit growing due to continuing drop in hydro-power generation

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila says the country is paying a very heavy price for failing to enhance electricity generation capacity since 2014.

Attorney-at-law Gammanpila, who is also the leader of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) stresses ongoing unannounced power cuts are likely to be a regular feature due to what he called ‘system imbalance’ caused by sufficient power to meet the regular requirement.

The outspoken lawmaker warned that the duration of power cuts would be further extended sooner when the supply and demand gap widened.

Responding to another query, the Colombo District MP said that the CEB had no option but to switch off selected sections to avoid countrywide disruption of electricity. Whatever various interested parties say, power cuts were necessary and couldn’t be avoided, Minister Gammanpila said.

Minister Gammanpila said that he recently suggested a daily 90 minute power cut as there was no other option. Acknowledging that his proposal hadn’t received the required attention, Minister Gammanpila said that the situation would continue to deteriorate until all stakeholders reach a consensus on the issue.

According to the Minister, those who had been in authority since 2014 couldn’t absolve themselves of the responsibility for the current crisis.

Asked whether the failure on the part of the political leadership and those who had been at the CEB’s helm as well as trade unions was deliberate, Minister Gammanpila declined to comment. The minister pointed out that all stakeholders should examine the full picture if the country was to address the issue at hand properly. It would be a serious mistake to believe that the issue could be addressed by operating thermal power stations alone, MP Gammanpila said. Those who propagated the lie that the entire power requirement could be met through thermal power generation obviously didn’t understand the contribution made by hydro-power generation, the PHU leader said.

Had there been a proper strategy, the government could have initiated tender procedures to secure electricity from private operators to meet the shortfall. However, in the absence of such a strategy, emergency power purchases could be quite costlier at a time the cash-strapped government was experiencing a financial crisis. Perhaps there should be a genuine dialogue involving all stakeholders at least now, Minister Gammanpila said, asserting the energy situation was in a dicey situation. “Do we have a realistic view of the developing situation,” Minister Gammanpila asked, underscoring the importance of reaching a consensus among all stakeholders.

Appreciating India providing USD 500 mn through a new Line of Credit for the purchase of Indian oil products in addition to extending foreign exchange support of over USD 900 million to Sri Lanka, Minister Gammanpila emphasized the fuel supply remained at a critical stage. “There is no point in denying that fact. We are struggling, really struggling with no permanent solution in sight. That is the undeniable truth. Perhaps, the government should take the public into confidence. The public should be told of the exact situation and urged to bear up difficulties.”

Minister Gammanpila said that the situation could further deteriorate.

The energy Minister said that Sri Lanka was also grateful to China for providing a six-month loan facility to procure oil products. That would come to an end at the end of February, Minister Gammanpila said, adding that one more diesel shipment was scheduled to take place in terms of this agreement.

The Minister admitted that their negotiations with several other countries to procure fuel at concessionary terms hadn’t been successful. “We shouldn’t expect other countries to respond or come to our rescue the way India and China do,” Minister Gammanpila said.

The PHU leader dismissed Opposition criticism. Perhaps, those who had been in power in the 2015-2019 period should explain their failure to enhance power generation to meet the annual increase in the requirement. According to him, Sri Lanka needs to increase power supply by six percent annually.

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Financial contribution from Gift Sri Lanka Foundation and the Georgia Buddhist Vihara, USA, for disaster relief

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

In support of relief efforts for communities affected by the Ditwah cyclone, Gift Sri Lanka Foundation and the Georgia Buddhist Vihara (GBV), USA, have made a financial contribution of USD 16,000 to the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund.

The relevant cheque was formally handed over on Thursday (18) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat by the Chief Incumbent of the Georgia Buddhist Vihara, Most Venerable Panamwela Vajirabuddha Nayaka Thero, to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

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European Union provides over Euro 2.35 million Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

The European Union has allocated a total of Euro 2.35 million of financial assistance to Sri Lanka. This includes Euro 500,000 through IFRC and Euro 1.85 million through DG-European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) partners, WFP and UNICEF as humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, in response to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Ditwah,

In addition to the above allocation, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), which brings together 37 participating States, all 27 EU member States, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine, is providing in-kind assistance to Sri Lanka.

As a part of the UCPM in kind assistance being provided, on Wednesday, 17th December, Sri Lanka received an aid shipment, with two air cargo flights arriving in Colombo from Germany, France and Luxembourg. This aid shipment included 83 tonnes of relief items such as family tents, mattresses, hygiene and kitchen kits, beds and water filters. The supplies are intended for distribution among communities most affected by the cyclone.

The arrival of the assistance was welcomed by the EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Carmen Moreno, French Ambassador, Rémi Lambert, and the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, Sarah Hasselbarth. On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, the donations were received by Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Director General / Europe & North America, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism and Chathura Liyanarachchi, Director, Disaster Management Center (DMC).

Italy has also provided a team of structural engineers to support Sri Lanka’s disaster assessment and recovery process.

Furthermore, the EU has activated its Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) in rapid mapping mode, with around 30 maps produced so far.

The European Union has committed continued cooperation and support to Sri Lanka’s disaster recovery and rebuilding process, reaffirming the enduring friendship and strong partnership between Sri Lanka and the European Union.

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Sajith: Met Dept. officials under virtual house arrest

Published

4 hours ago

2025/12/19

Thilina Walpola

Sajith Premadasa

… hands over proposal asking for PSC probe into govt.’s lapses

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday accused the government of having gagged the Meteorology Department officials, who, he said, had been placed under virtual house arrest. He claimed that they had been barred from speaking to the media.

Speaking in Parliament, Premadasa said withholding information from the public was unacceptable. He insisted that the Meteorology Department and international agencies had repeatedly issued warnings about extreme weather events between November 11 and 26. He demanded to know why Sri Lanka’s disaster management mechanism had not been activated in a timely manner.

“The key issue is why the country’s disaster management system failed to respond when the risks were clearly identified,” he told the House, describing the lapse as a serious failure of governance.

Condemning attempts to silence officials, Premadasa said acknowledging mistakes was the only way forward. “If we are wrong, we should admit it. If we are right, we should say so. Silencing professionals will help solve problems.

The Opposition Leader also called for a National Disaster Response Force and amendments to the Disaster Management Act to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms.

Premadasa and several other Opposition MPs have submitted a formal proposal to the Speaker seeking the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the government’s failure to mitigate the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.

The Opposition has demanded a 30-member select committee tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the institutional and administrative failures during the disaster.

Describing the government’s lack of preparedness as deeply regrettable, the MPs have said that timely action would have helped save many lives and reduced the scale of destruction caused by the cyclone.

By Saman Indrajith ✍️