by Himangi Jayasundere

There are signs of the current power crisis worsening with rain fall in the hydro catchment areas being nil during the last two weeks. The Met. Department yesterday said that the last time there had been rain in the hydro catchment areas was on August 30, and this too amounted to less than 2mm in many of the reservoirs, the highest being 4.5 mm in Norton.

During the last two weeks Randenigala received a minute 0.6 mm. on September 9.

Meanwhile a CEB source said that the current three hour cut is likely to be increased if the lack of rain persists. On Sunday the CEB extended its two and a half hour power cut to three hours. The CEB has not presented any alternative plans to overcome the present power crisis.

A meteorologist of the Met. Department, G. B. Samarasinghe attributed the lack of rain to an emerging global pattern in climatic changes. The South West monsoon prevailing from May to September was a failure and did not bring rain to Sri Lanka as expected. However India had a very active monsoon. Although the monsoon usually blows over to Sri Lanka directly from India, this year it has blown into Sri Lanka through the Arabian region. The Arabian region being a dry area, the wind did not contain sufficient moisture for the expected rain.

Mr. Samarasinghe however added that they were now expecting inter monsoonal rain in October and November. He pointed out that the inter monsoon unlike the south west monsoon was not a regional but a local feature.

Storage capacities in the hydro reservoirs showed unpromising levels yesterday with 16.1%, 8.3%, 6.4% and 3.4% in the Randenigala, Samanalawewa, Victoria and Kotmale reservoirs and 30.1% and 39.9% in the Castlereigh and Moussakelle reservoirs.