The Sri Lanka continues to battle its worst economic crisis since winning independence in 1948. A direct impact of it has been a severe fuel shortage across the Island nation with people seen waiting in long queues at petrol stations stretching several kilometers.
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As per media reports, government mismanagement and the coronavirus pandemic has contributed towards the ongoing crisis in the country. It resulted in the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister with Ranil Wickremesinghe succeeding him into the role.
Roshan Mahanama, part of Sri Lankan cricket team that won the 1996 ODI World Cup, shared a series of pictures of him serving tea and buns to those waiting in long queues at the petrol station around Ward Place and Wijerama mawatha.
“We served tea and buns with the team from Community Meal Share this evening for the people at the petrol queues around Ward Place and Wijerama mawatha. The queues are getting longer by the day and there will be many health risks to people staying in queues,” Mahanama wrote on Twitter.
We served tea and buns with the team from Community Meal Share this evening for the people at the petrol queues around Ward Place and Wijerama mawatha.
The queues are getting longer by the day and there will be many health risks to people staying in queues. pic.twitter.com/i0sdr2xptI— Roshan Mahanama (@Rosh_Maha) June 18, 2022
He appealed to his fellow citizens to look after each other “during these difficult times.”
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“Please, look after each other in the fuel queues. Bring adequate fluid and food and if you’re not well please, reach out to the closest person next to you and ask for support or call 1990. We need to look after each other during these difficult times,” he posted.
Please, look after each other in the fuel queues. Bring adequate fluid and food and if you’re not well please, reach out to the closest person next to you and ask for support or call 1990. We need to look after each other during these difficult times.
— Roshan Mahanama (@Rosh_Maha) June 18, 2022
Meanwhile, due to the acute power shortage, the Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced shutting down of all schools for the next week.
“All government and government-approved private schools in Colombo city boundaries, as well as schools in other important cities in the other provinces, would be closed throughout the next week owing to protracted power disruptions,” the Sri Lanka Education Ministry said.
The public sector employees have also been ordered to work from home in wake of the fuel shortage.
“Taking into consideration the severe limits on fuel supply, the weak public transport system and the difficulty in using private vehicles this circular allows minimal staff to report to work from Monday,” Sri Lankan Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry had said on Friday.
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