Puttalam: Power shark caught in fishers’ net
By Ifham Nizam-December 25, 2013,
With fishermen in Puttalam backed by local politicians blocking the Ceylon Electricity Board’s efforts to construct a high tension power line, to supply electricity from the second phase of the Norochcholai Power plant to the National Grid, it would be advisable for Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to immediately intervene to settle the dispute, a top official said.
A senior engineer told The Island that the issue should have been settled by the CEB or the Ministry of Power and Energy without taking the matter to such a level when considering the colossal investment and the urgency of the project.
Recently, a high-level team comprising officials of the Power and Energy Ministry and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), held crucial talks with the fisher folk on the controversial Puttalam lagoon stretch.
The fishing community backed by local UPFA politicians is opposing the CEB’s move to construct towers in the area for the new 220 KV line, necessary for transmitting electricity from Norochcholai to Veyangoda via Anuradhapura after the commissioning of the second phase of the coal power plant earlier scheduled for October this year, which is now expected to be completed next month.
Power and Energy Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, CEB Chairman W. B. Ganegala and CEB General Manager Shavi Fernando have explained to the fishing community the importance of constructing three to four towers in the lagoon stretch.
A senior CEB Engineer told The Island that the last meeting with them was very crucial. "Even if the fishing community responded positively now, it would take the CEB between six to 10 months to construct the towers. Without constructing them, there is no point in going for the second stage of the first coal fired plant, in Norochcholai."
If the second stage of the 900 MW plant had been completed in October this year the country would have had 600 MW from the Chinese built Norochcholai plant by now, the engineer said, pointing out that though the second stage could be managed with little difficulty with the existing cable network, they could not possibly accommodate the third stage scheduled to be launched later next year,without it.
"There is no way for the third stage could be accommodated with existing lines as with the commissioning of the second stage the distribution lines would be overloaded and there is an additional risk factor involved of lines tripping due to overloading," an official said.
