SLA restricts fuel transport to Mannaar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 13:31 GMT]
Acute fuel shortage prevails in Mannaar district due to the restriction imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on the quantity of petrol, diesel and kerosene being transported from petroleum corporation terminal located in Anuradhapura in the north central province, civil sources in Mannaar said.

Maanthai West Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society had been transporting monthly 600,000 litres of kerosene, 250,000 litres of diesel and 100,000 litres of petrol to its filling station in Mannaar town from Anuradhapura.

Now the SLA has reduced the quantity of fuel. The SLA has instructed the Maanthai West MPCS to transport only 60,000 litres of kerosene, 50,000 litres of diesel and 45 thousand litres of petrol from Anuradhapura monthly.

Meanwhile, the fishing industry in Mannaar has been badly affected. Fishermen are unable to purchase fuel to power outboard motors. Private sector bus service has almost come to a standstill. Majority of three-wheelers have also gone off the road due fuel shortage, civil sources said.