Sri Lanka to experience 10-hour daily power cuts

Colombo, March 30 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Public Utilities Commission announced that there will be 10-hour daily power cuts from Wednesday.

Sri Lanka has been facing power cuts since February due to dwindling electricity production in hydro power plants as well as diesel shortages that have crippled the operations of thermal power plants, the commission said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ceylon Electricity Board said in a statement that they were "compelled to take demand management measures due to inadequate power generation, as a result of fuel shortage and unavailability of generators."

Meanwhile, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) on Tuesday announced that there will be a diesel shortage in the country on Wednesday and Thursday.

"We were unable to unload 37,500 tonnes of diesel shipment as planned on Tuesday. Therefore, we request the public not to queue up at filling stations for diesel on March 30 and 31," CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe told the media.

Wijesinghe said the remaining stocks of diesel would be given to essential services.