Sri Lanka urges energy saving as blackouts pinch

Sri Lankans endured a third straight day of blackouts yesterday, with families sleeping outdoors to escape the heat and businesses stockpiling fuel as a crippling power shortage grips the island.

Authorities warned Sri Lankans they must slash their energy use in coming months or face extensive power cuts as a severe drought bites into hydroelectricity production in the Indian Ocean nation of 21 million.

The cabinet ordered street lighting be reduced and instructed state institutions to curb energy usage by 10 percent, as hours-long rolling blackouts left millions sweltering across the country.

Daily restrictions were imposed Monday but Sri Lankans outside the capital Colombo, where power has not been interrupted, said random periods of “load shedding” had been imposed without warning for the better part of a week.

 

Sri Lanka urges energy saving as blackouts pinch

Sri Lankans endured a third straight day of blackouts yesterday, with families sleeping outdoors to escape the heat and businesses stockpiling fuel as a crippling power shortage grips the island. Authorities warned Sri Lankans they must slash their energy use in coming months or face extensive power cuts as a severe drought bites into hydroelectricity production in the Indian Ocean nation of 21 million. The cabinet ordered street lighting be reduced and instructed state institutions to curb energy usage by 10 percent, as hours-long rolling blackouts left millions sweltering across the country. Daily restrictions were imposed Monday but Sri Lankans outside the capital Colombo, where power has not been interrupted, said random periods of load shedding had been imposed without warning for the better part of a week.