COLOMBO, February 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lankan government decided
on Tuesday night not to increase the daily two to two and half
hour power cut islandwide, the state-owned Daily News said on
Wednesday.
   At a special meeting summoned by Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe and attended by key figures of the country's power
sector, the government decided to go ahead with the emergency
purchase of 110 Megawatts from the private sector within the next
ten days.
   Commercial establishments such as hotels and factories will be
allowed to generate their own power and the Electricity Board
supply will be disconnected.
   Sources said that current power crisis had been aggravated with
the breakdown of a 110 Megawatt Fiat combined cycle power plant at
Kelanitissa, capital Colombo. The Italian team that was due to
repair the plant has not returned to Sri Lanka since last December.
   Private sector participation has been sought to add another 100
Megawatts to the national grid to meet the 200 Megawatt deficit in
power supply and demand.
   Sri Lanka has experienced a severe power shortage and power cut
has been imposed islandwide since last July due to shortfall of
rain water which the country depends on for power generation. 
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