Lighting up lives

By Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Bold political decisions are a must for a developing country like Sri Lanka to surge ahead in development. However, since independence this was a gray area as political leaders were keen to maintain their political popularity rather than going in for controversial projects which in the long-run were more productive to the country.

This was the pattern that was followed for decades. It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who changed this political culture, putting ahead development before anything else.

Being a true leader of the people, he also studied these controversial projects very carefully and brought about changes before implementing them. He even went to the extent of cancelling or changing some of them and the relocation of the Weerawila international airport to Mattala was a classic example.

The Upper Kotmale hydro power plant was to be launched in 1985 and due to its controversial nature successive political leaders ignored it.

Environmentalists went to the extent of saying that the implementation of the project would result in earthquakes in the hill country and that the waterfalls would run dry. Opposition politicians, as usual, capitalised on this, which further delayed the launch of the project.

However, after studying the proposal more carefully and making some environmental changes the project was commissioned.

The President negotiated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and secured US$ 297 million on a 30-year-long-term credit facility ironing out the other gray areas of the project. The Government invested US $ 87 million making the project a reality.

Japanese and Sri Lankan engineers created a special 25 hectare reservoir across the Kotmale Oya and a 35.5 metre tall and 180 metre long dam was built across it. This project would generate 150 megawatts.

The other project to get off the ground is the Kerawalapitiya power plant which will generate 100MW. This project has been completed and the second stage too has commenced. With the completion of the second stage the total power generation added to the National Grid from this project would be 300MW.

Controversial projects

Out of this, 200MW will be generated using furnace oil and the balance 100MW will be generated using steam emanated from the plant. The steam which will be a byproduct emanated from the first phase operation of the plant will have no bearing on the production expenses. One of the unique features of the project is that it is a totally local funded project and local engineers would handle the entire project.

Norochcholai was the second project that was in the balance due to the controversy it created as environmentalists said that the project would cause a major damage. However, after making amendments this project was launched.

The plant uses advanced technology which nullifies emanation of soot and smog and even the waste water discharged to the sea will be pumped out preventing any harm to the fisheries resources in the area.

The one time highly controversial Norochcholai power plant project is set to fire its first coal power on November 17. The first stage of the Norochcholai project would generate 300 Mega Watts to the national grid and the investment for the total project would be Rs. 155 billion. It would also be in a position to generate a unit of electricity at Rs. 4.75.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has decided to shoulder the financial burden of financing the project as CEB is now turning out to be a profit-making venture. "We will start reimbursing this amount to the Treasury from 2015," Minister of Power and Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka said.The second and third phases which would generate another 600MW of power will become operational by 2013.

In a bid to light up Sabaragamuwa and the Central Provinces, the Broadlands Hydro Power Project will be commissioned. Agreements in this regard were signed recently.

The National Electric Equipment Corporation, China will construct this 35 MW project over the Kelani River located in the Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. The cost of the project is US$ 82 million and it is to be completed by 2014.

Under the Uthuru Wasanthaya , within one year of liberating the masses from the clutches of terrorism, the Government has launched over 500 electricity supply schemes which would cost US$ 5,527 million. China has agreed to provide assistance for these projects. Sri Lanka's electricity tariffs were the highest in the region.

The main reason for this was the inadequate power supply. Due to the bold decision taken by President Rajapaksa to implement the projects which were stalled due to political reasons, the CEB will be capable of making Sri Lanka meet its demand for electricity by 2012 putting a permanent stop to the bottle lamp era.

In addition, for the first time in the history of the country, it would be able to export electricity to India during off-peak hours.