Sri Lanka, which is facing severe economic crisis, now has only one day of petrol left. While cautioning the people of the country about the current situation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that in the coming days people may also have to face power cut of 15 hours.
The situation in Sri Lanka is so bad right now that people are not getting petrol even after waiting in lines for 5-6 hours. Wickremesinghe said that people will get some relief if they get 2-2 shipments of petrol and diesel from India. Meanwhile, the country is also facing a shortage of 14 essential medicines.
He cautioned that the coming few months will be very troublesome for the people, which one needs to be prepared to face. Wickremesinghe said that he does not want to hide anything from the people of the country. The PM said that at present, Sri Lanka needs foreign exchange of US $ 75 million for the purchase of essential goods.
Most of the people in Colombo use auto rickshaws for commuting, but amid the financial crunch, auto rickshaws are facing problem of getting fuel despite long queues. “We stand in line for around six to seven hours to get petrol,” said Mohammad Ali, an auto driver. Another driver, Mohammad Naushad, said he stood in line for several hours at a gas station, but could not find gas. He said, “We have been in line since 7-8 am and it is still not clear whether there will be enough fuel here. When it will come, no one knows. We don’t even know whether there will be any use in waiting.
Significantly, Sri Lanka, which is facing severe economic crisis, witnessed massive protests against the government in the past, in which nine people died and more than 300 people were injured. Due to this protest, Mahinda Rajapaksa also had to resign from the post of PM.
The people of the country are facing the problem of massive inflation and shortage of medicine, fuel and other essentials, against which thousands of people have come out on the streets. A diesel shipment from India was delivered here on Sunday, but it is yet to be delivered across the country. “The public is requested not to stand in queues or top up till the deliveries of 1,190 fuel stations are completed in the next three days,” Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on Monday.