COLOMBO: The war-devastated Tamil-speaking northern province of Sri Lanka, including the Wanni, would be electrified by 2011 under a US$ 32.6 million project, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said on Tuesday.
The CEB has a long way to go in both Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts that had been under the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for long and had suffered heavily during the last war. As of now, only one per cent of the households in Mullaitivu district have electricity. The situation in the former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi district is marginally better at four per cent.
But, parts of Mannar district that had always been in government hands have electricity in 37 per cent of the households while Jaffna district has a coverage of 52 per cent and Vavuniya is the best served with 67 per cent.
Presently, pylons carrying transmission cables from Vavuniya to Chunnakkam are under construction.
To avert power fluctuation in the long run, a 30 MW plant would be built. The government has also approved a 132 KW transmission link from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi costing US$ 39 million with assistance from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.
The transmission link from Kilinochchi to Chunnakkam would cost another US $ 19.5 million. Furthermore, a US $ 45 million medium and low-voltage expansion programme would be implemented to extend the distribution network.
SOLAR POWERED PHONE BOOTHS: Telecommunication in the North does not have to wait for supply of power through the normal channels. A solar powered phone booth system would be set up in the area, the CEB said. The solar powered coin operated telephone booths would be installed at the war refugee camps. During 2002-2004 peace process, mobile phone operators made a lot of money.
