PUCSL nod to stretch power cuts to over 5-hours for certain parts today

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday said a request by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to shed power was approved, whilst it has been stretched to over five-hours in certain parts of the country.  

“A four-hour and 40-minute power cut will be imposed in areas A, B and C, whilst a five-hour and 15-minute power cuts will be imposed in other areas,” PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said.

As per the schedule, power cuts of four-hour and 40-minute power are imposed between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. in groups A, B and C. It is divided into two slots, as two hours and 40-minutes in the morning and two-hours in the night.

Meanwhile, for the other groups, the power cuts of five-hours and 15-minutes are imposed between 8.30 a.m. and 11.45 p.m. This is split into two slots as two-hours and 45 minutes in the morning, and two-hours and 30 minutes in the night.

Despite assurance from the electricity regulator on 15 February for uninterrupted supply till April, a week later the PUCSL approved rotational power cuts since the beginning of the week.

Electricity consumers, industries, and school children are severely affected by the daily stretched-out power interruptions amidst a hot weather.

Successive Governments have failed to include renewable energy sources to the national grid and had not established new power plants to cater to increasing electricity demand of 10% per annum. The majority of the oil-fired plants are out of order due to the fuel shortage.