Move state workers to work from home-PUCSL Chairman

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has proposed a work-from-home method for state sector workers today and tomorrow in order to address the prevalent power crisis.

Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said if a work-from-home method is followed the duration of power cuts can be reduced by two or three hours.

He said generators are in use during power cuts for offices to function, adding that by reducing the quantity of diesel used for this purpose and reducing daily transport services, stocks of diesel can be directed towards power generation.

Ratnayake said a fuel shipment obtained through the Indian Credit Line is due to reach Colombo tomorrow (31) and will be offloaded on the 1st of April.

He added therefore today and tomorrow will be a challenging period.

However, the PUCSL Chairman said critical infrastructure such as hospitals will not face power disruptions while Free Trade Zones could face power cuts.

Janaka Ratnayake on a separate note said hydropower generation has depleted significantly owing to excessive use of resources during the past two months.

He said the capacity at the Castlereagh Reservoir has dropped to 7%, Kotmale to 20%, and Samanalawewa to 11%, with total water resources dropping to 27%.

Ratnayake added hydropower generation amounts to 325 million units, claiming that when it reaches 200 million units, hydropower generation must be halted.

He claimed the energy crisis is worsening and charged that the public and institutions despite being warned over time have failed to take any steps to mitigate its impact.

He said the power crisis stems from the foreign exchange crisis, noting that a fuel shipment that arrived several days ago is yet to be released as dollars cannot be sourced to release stocks.

(Source: News Radio)