It’s time to make use of our resources

Recently, Industries Minister Sunil Handunnetti was advising the public about doing laundry in an efficient manner. He asked people to try and use the washing machine once a week. By turning off the fridge, switching off street lights and reducing the energy demand during 6pm-10pm which are considered peak hours, people may be able to save energy in their own capacities. But these practices may not be practical in the long run. 

One of the sectors that have been severely impacted due to the Middle East crisis is the energy sector. Sri Lanka had a history of imposing prolonged power cuts. From time to time,  we hear about water cuts and certain areas receiving water at a low pressure. In the outskirts, officials don’t respond to complaints of water cuts due to inbuilt bureaucracy and politics. People shouldn’t be inconvenienced due to the looming energy crisis. We are a country blessed with an abundance of lakes, reservoirs and water bodies thanks to the kings of yesteryear. Successive governments had enough time to make use of these resources by maintaining them. But today we see that officials lack the necessary knowledge to make maximum use of these resources that our island is blessed with. After all, Sri Lankans may not want to tread down the same path similarly to what happened in 2022.

Ananda Herath

Wattala