More hydro power with reservoir  levels rising

by Dasun Edirisinghe

The water levels of reservoirs were rapidly increasing due to the current inter-monsoon rains over the past five days, the Power and Energy Ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Danushka Ramanayake told The Island that hydro power generation from reservoirs was currently at around 29 per cent.

"The hydro power generating capacity was 14 per cent two months ago," he said, adding that the situation was improving with the inter-monsoon rains.

Ramanayake said, however, that the full capacity was 40-45%.

If there were no technical difficulties in machines, the ministry promises an uninterrupted hydroelectricity supply as the water level was increasing in the main reservoirs, he said.

According to the statistics issued by the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka the active storage of Victoria, Randenigala, Rantembe, Bowatenna, Castlereigh, Maussakele, Samanalawewa and Uda Walawe were 17.3 per cent, 16.5, 44.4, 36.3, 38,2, 60.4, 22.1 and 17.6 per cent respectively.

Duty Forecaster of the Meteorology Department D. A. Jayasingharachchi told The Island that the reservoir catchment areas would receive heavy rains daily until the end of November.

"This is the inter-monsoon season and heavy rains will occur everywhere in the country especially in the Central Province," he said.