Sri Lanka to ration power in key towns and villages

Aug 08, 2012 (LBO) –Sri Lanka will cut power for two hours and fifteen minutes during the daytime Thursday (August 09) owing to a breakdown in a Chinese build coal plant in the north western region in the Island, the power ministry releasing a statement said. Some areas in northern and southern zones in the western province will not have power from 10.45 to 1.00pm including Sapugaskanda, Ragama, Nawagamuwa, Bulathsinhala, Bandaragama, Pamunugama, Maharagama, Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Panadura, Wadduwa, Kalutara and Piliyandala.

Power cuts will be imposed in Thalangama, Koswatta, Malabe, Athurugiriy, Arangala, Horana, Thalawathugoda, Depanama, Hokandara, Sri Jayawardenapura and Battaramulla during 1.00 to 3.15 pm.

From 3.15 to 5.30pm areas belonging to the southern zone of the western province will experience power cuts including Athurugiriya, Homagama, Horana, Pannipitiya, Battaramulla and Koswatta, the ministry schedule showed.

The power ministry didn’t specify whether the power cuts would continue beyond Thursday or whether it was only on Thursday. Operations at Sri Lanka's newly build Lakvijaya coal power plant in north-western Puttalam district was temporarily halted this morning due to a problem in a transmission line, the ministry said.