Colombo, Feb 8 (NIA) – Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Power, Ajith Perera, on Wednesday urged the public to use electricity sparingly due to less rains experienced in the island country.
Addressing a media briefing, Perera said the reservoirs were only capable of producing 34% of the electricity requirement of the country as no rains had been experienced in the reservoir areas.
He said the reservoirs were experiencing the lowest level of water in 10 years.
Sri Lankans, in December, had been warned to conserve water and electricity as the country faced the worst drought since the early 1970s, with crop output down and severe shortages of drinking water.
Sri Lanka’s main South East monsoon failed last year with very little rain recorded and the North East monsoon was delayed resulting in around half the rainfall compared to the previous year.
Due to the less rains, only 36 percent capacity remained in the Randenigala, Victoria, Samanala and Kande Ela reservoirs.
