News
Govt. to buy emergency power from private sector
The ongoing drought conditions have inflicted a double blow on the Government forcing it to approve the purchase of emergency power supplies and consider a proposal to pay compensation to thousands of farmers.
The Cabinet this week approved a Power and Energy Ministry proposal to buy emergency power of 100Mw a day for six months from the private sector.
A tender has been called for the supply of power with the purchases expected to begin from next month.
However, Ceylon Electricity Board sources said it was likely that the demand would increase in view of the drop in hydropower generation capacity and they might have to buy 150Mw a day.
The move comes in the wake of a severe drop in hydropower generation followed by a breakdown of a unit at the Norochcholai power plant. Of the three units at the plant, one of them was under repairs at the time of the breakdown.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times that a cabinet paper would be submitted next week to consider compensation payment for farmers whose crops had been destroyed due to the drought.
He said already estimates showed that nearly 4,000 Ha of paddy and other lands had been destroyed in the Southern Province alone while figures from other areas including Kurunegala, Ampara and Monargala have been called for.
He said the cabinet paper would request payment of compensation of Rs 40,000 for an acre and Rs 100,000 a Ha. He said discussions were underway with President Ranil Wickremesinghe to increase the compensation.
Minister Amaraweera said there was a fresh issue in the Anuradhapura and Polonarruwa districts where the paddy cultivations required water from irrigation tanks.
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