Sri Lanka set for black outs amid energy crisis ( June 27, 2001 )

COLOMBO, June 28 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's electricity monopoly is to enforce nationwide power cuts from Monday in a bid to save energy and prevent a total blackout, officials said Thursday.

The state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said it will enforce 90 minute power cuts to conserve water in hydro-electricity generating reservoirs which are running dangerously low because monsoon rains failed.

Using thermal power generators to augment the shortfall in hydro-electricity was affecting the financial viability of the CEB which is already running at huge losses, a company spokesman said.

He said the utility had accumulated an 8.5 billion rupee loss (94 million dollars) because they were forced to run thermal power plants at a time when world oil prices had skyrocketed.

The CEB is currently enforcing a ban on air conditioners powered by the national grid.

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), June 28, 2001