COLOMBO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Electricity consumers in Sri Lanka are likely to be required to absorb nearly 20 billion rupees (about 64 million U.S. dollars) in damages caused by Cyclone Ditwah to infrastructure owned by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), local media reported.
According to the Daily Mirror, the cyclone caused extensive damage to both transmission and distribution networks. A senior CEB official said losses to transmission lines were estimated at around 1 billion rupees (3.23 million dollars), while damage to distribution lines amounted to approximately 19 billion rupees (61.33 million dollars).
Transmission lines carry bulk electricity over long distances at very high voltages using large towers, while distribution lines deliver lower-voltage power from substations to homes and businesses through smaller poles.
The official said the losses would not be recovered from consumers immediately but phased in over time, noting that the CEB is required to follow cost-reflective pricing under Sri Lanka's program with the International Monetary Fund.
Electricity tariffs are reviewed on a quarterly basis. The CEB recently sought a tariff increase of 11.57 percent to raise revenues, including partial recovery of losses incurred in the previous quarter. However, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka decided not to implement a tariff revision for the first quarter of 2026, citing the CEB's failure to submit a formal proposal within the stipulated time frame. ■
