Sri Lanka's economic crisis has resulted in an acute shortage of fuel -- not just in terms of petrol and diesel, but in terms of the fuel needed to generate electricity. This has prompted the government to announce power cuts that last between 10 and 13 hours per day. This has dealt a crippling blow to the day-to-day lives of the people and hamstrung livelihoods as well.

Last week Colombo was facing a power cut of more than 13 hrs. This week it's more than 08 hrs. The problem is for those people who are not rich enough or privileged enough to buy a generator or an inverter. The power cuts are also paralysing and suffocating livelihoods.

Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic crisis: Fuel shortage hits Colombo’s fishing community

For the average Sri Lankan, the situation is dire. While Sri Lanka's department of meteorology has not officially declared a heatwave, reports suggest at least 4 people have died while standing in line outside fuel stations due to the heat. The only relief many could come from rain showers predicted in various parts of the country, but that could add to the humidity. For now, the country and millions of Sri Lankans are living in darkness.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be addressing the nation on Monday evening, according to a media report, amidst the growing pressure on him to quit following the unprecedented economic crisis facing the island nation.

The Prime Minister's speech will come at a time when the nation is rocked by massive anti-government protests over weeks of lengthy power outages and shortage of gas, food and other essentials, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. Mahinda Rajapaksa will issue a special statement today evening, the report said.

(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)

First Published:Apr 11, 2022 6:34 PM IST