Uthuru Wasanthaya brings light to North

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

People who have been living in total darkness during the past 30 years in villages of Vavuniya district were jubilant last week when five villages were provided with electricity.

Opening of the Uthuru Wasanthaya office on the Vavuniya -Horawapathana road by the CEB Chairman E.S.K. Edirisighe.

Large crowds gathered at the opening of the Uthuru Wasanthaya office.

This was a project initiated under the Uthuru Wasanthaya program. The project covers the areas of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu that will be linked to the national grid shortly.

However, following the liberation of the Northern province most villages in the northern province and Vavuniya were provided with electricity with the help of generators.

Last week the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board E.S.K. Edirisinghe and the Project Director of the Uthuru Wasanthaya program Gratian Muthukuda and several officials of the CEB participated at the opening of the Uthuru Wasanthaya office.

The event also coincided with the ceremonial opening of the electricity scheme under the Uthuru Wasanthya programme. Large crowds participated at the opening ceremony commented President Mahinda Rajapaksa's initiative to provide electricity to the northern province before the scheduled period.

Project Director of the Uthuru Wasanthaya Program Gratian Muthukuda said before the Eelam war the Mankulam Kilinochchi power line existed. Following the Eelam war the power line was completely destroyed.

However, when the government troops regained Kilinochchi, power was restored to these areas with the help of power generators. But the most significant event took place last week when Kilinochchi was connected through Vavuniya to the island network. The hydro and thermal power generated from the rest of the country will now flow to Kilinochchi through Vavuniya.

Project Director Muthukuda said security establishments and resettled people in villages in and around Kilinochchi and Mankulam will benefit, out of this project. "We are not stopping at this point but will proceed towards Paranthan. Even the Paranthan township will be connected to the national grid by next week."

Meanwhile, the work on the 26 kilometre road from Paranthan to Pooneryn will commence shortly and is expected to finish by end March.

The work on the 40 kilometre power line from Mankulam to Mullaitivu commenced work. And the work on the Mankulam -Thunukkai power line is progressing well. In July last year a mammoth transformer was transported by road from the Wattala- Aniyakande power sub station to Vavuniya power sub station under the 180-day Uthuru Wasanthaya Programme.

The transformer worth Rs 20 million and weighing 65 tons will provide electricity to several areas of Vavuniya and other areas nearby. It is now being installed at the Vavuniya power sub station.

The capacity of the Vavuniya sub station will be increased from 20 megawatts to 50 megawatts and a plan is being worked out to increase it to 60 megawatts, a spokesman for the Ceylon Electricity Board said.

The General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board, Ranjith Gunewardena, along with Deputy General Manager of the Transmission Project, P.S.P. Mendis, and the Manager of the Vavuniya sub Station H.D.A. Peiris, and the Manager of Kilinochchi Anurudha Tillakeratne supervised the transportation of the transformer.

Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Board plans to complete phase 1 of the project this year that will provide power to development projects launched by the government without any hinderance.

Meanwhile, the entire Northern Province will be provided with electricity within the next two years under the Uthuru Wasanthaya Program. The entire project will cost around Rs 6 billion, which will be borne by the State.

A fortnight ago the first transformer was installed near the Iranamadhu Tank in Killinochci to provide electricity to Kilinochchi.

Meanwhile the Mankulam to Killinochchi medium voltage line is 33 kilometres in length estimated at Rs. 73,392,000. It will benefit 26,000 families.

The Chekkadipulavu-Puthiya Kovilkum power line will costs Rs 11,570,401.75 that will benefit 83 families in the Vavuniya District Division.

The Ganeshapuram high and low tension lines located at Vengalacheddikulam District Secretary division will cost Rs 9,449,792.00. It will benefit 105 families. The Thaddankulam high and low tension lines located at Vengalacheddikulam will cost Rs. 13,404,987 that will benefit 210 families.

The Kandasamy Nagar high and low tension lines located at Vengalacheddikulam District Secretary's division will benefit 35 families. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 5,549,707. The Kankankulam high and low tension power lines will benefit 90 families. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 14,880,562.