The Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoirs in the central hills have risen close to their spill levels after heavy rain in their catchment areas, engineers in charge of the two reservoirs said on Monday morning.
Castlereagh is within 1.2 feet of spilling after 25 mm of rain over the past 24 hours. Maussakelle is 3.4 feet below its spill level following 29 mm in the same period.
With levels still rising and the spill gates approaching the point of being opened, authorities at the power stations have alerted residents living on both sides of the Maskeliya Oya to remain vigilant, Ada Derana reported. Those in surrounding areas have been asked to stay attentive to further announcements.
Hydropower running at full capacity
To draw the levels down, generation is being carried out at maximum capacity at five stations on the Laxapana complex — Canyon, Laxapana, New Laxapana, Polpitiya and Wimalasurendra.
Both reservoirs feed that complex, one of the country’s main hydropower systems. Their condition is a reversal from late April, when both fell sharply during a dry spell and hydropower output was constrained.
Part of a wider run of rain
The two reservoirs sit in the Kelani basin and are separate from the Mahaweli system, where a Kotmale spill gate was opened again on Sunday evening, releasing about 20 cubic metres a second into the Kotmala Oya.
Neither outlet reported that spill gates at Castlereagh or Maussakelle had been opened as of Monday morning. This remains a warning of imminent spilling rather than a confirmed discharge.
Sources: Ada Derana, Daily Mirror.
