The Problems Are Not Merely Technical – Probing The Roots Of The Power Cuts
By Kumar David -August 4, 2012
Prof. Kumar David
One hundred percent reliability in electricity supply is a theoretical impossibility; even in a place like Hong Kong which prides itself on reliability of supply, China Light & Power and Hongkong Electric, the territories two suppliers, achieve only 99.99% reliability, and less than 20 minutes loss of supply per annum on average. In most advanced economies reliability is a little lower, but better than 99%. Providing reliability at these levels is quite expensive, requiring good planning and maintenance, a reasonable amount of standby and emergency plant, and an excellent transmission and distribution network.
The power supply scenario in Sri Lanka, however, has become disgraceful; during year-2012 domestic consumers may, on average, lose supply for over 200 hours during this annus horribilis if the authorities are believed, longer if you trust your gut rather than government. The real problem is not that we are a poorer country that cannot maintain the same levels of reserve capacity and transmission-distribution facilities as rich countries, nor is it that a substantial part of our energy supply is from hydro sources, and our four great religions notwithstanding, no amount supplication of the gods can guarantee rain. These are contributory factors, but do not alone explain the cock-up. Something is rotten in our setup.
“Who finds the heifer dead and bleeding fresh
And sees fast by a butcher with an axe,
But will suspect ’twas he that made the slaughter?
Who finds the partridge in the puttock’s nest,
But may imagine how the bird was dead,
Although the kite soar with unbloodied beak?”(Puttock is another word for kite or hawk)
I do not have hard evidence that people in high places took kick-backs from Norochcholi project financing or that that’s the reason we are stuck with a ‘lemon’ – a lemon is an Americanism for a car that comes out a dud from the factory. But in the context of rampant corruption and the breakdown of public confidence in the probity of political leaders, the kick-backs distrust is to be expected. The likes of you and I cannot possibly gain access to inside information if there has been wrongdoing, therefore there are grounds to justify a public inquiry.
