Power cuts to come down with reservoir water levels nearing 80 per cent

By Ifham Nizam

With water levels in reservoirs reaching nearly 80 per cent on average, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was trying to reduce bring down the scheduled power cuts, a top CEB official said yesterday.On Wednesday, there was only a 40- minute power cut as the catchment areas received heavy rains.

CEB Chairman Nalinda Illangakoon, contacted for comment, told The Island that power cuts would not exceed three hours during the next two weeks. He said hydro power stations could operate at high capacity.The Chairman said that their main aim was to minimise the use of costly and high polluting fossil fuel generated power.

He also said that they were trying to reduce power cuts to less than two hours a day.Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology yesterday said that the low-level atmospheric disturbance persisted in the vicinity of Sri Lanka.

Showers may occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, and Northern provinces and Anuradhapura, Galle, and Matara districts.

Fairly heavy showers above 75 mm may occur at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, and Northern provinces.Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night.