New regulation to prevent the construction of new buildings near power lines
Sri Lanka introduced new regulations with regard to the minimum gap that should have between power lines and buildings to ensure the safety of consumers and the properties .
The regulationswere approved by the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy on the recommendation of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, are described in 30,36 and 37 of the Electricity (Safety, Quality and Continuity) Regulations No. of 2016, require a minimum vertical and horizontal spacing on the construction of power lines and buildings.
The new regulation explains that the construction of a new building required to obtain a safety clearance certificate from who owns or operates the overhead line (Ceylon Electricity Board or Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited)through a written notice, explaining the intention to construct the building, if it cause any part of an overhead line.
However, a safety clearance certificate will not be issued and the building or structure should not be able to built if the distance from such building or structure is not in par with the spaces that has mentioned in the regulation to any part of the overhead line.
The Provincial Councils and the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils have already taken actions to implement the regulation. Accordingly, the regulation will be strictly considered when granting the permits for development purposes. The Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils has asked all the provincial councils to consider this regulation when issuing the permits for the new buildings. Therefore, the application for the development permit will require the information of the space clearance between the power lines and a new construction in the future.
DISTANCE FROM BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES TO OVERHEAD LINES (Reg 36, 37)
Minimum distances from any building or structure to any position to which a conductor in an overhead line may swing under the influence of wind shall be as specified below
| Nominal Voltages | Vertical Distance | Horizontal Distance |
| Not exceeding 1000 Volts | 2.40 m | 1.50 m |
| Exceeding 1000 Volts but not exceeding 11,000 Volts | 2.70 m | 1.50 m |
| Exceeding 11,000 Volts but not exceeding 33,000 Volts | 3.00 m | 2.00 m |
| Exceeding 33,000 Volts but not exceeding 132,000 Volts | 4.10 m | 4.10 m |
| Exceeding 132,000 Volts but not exceeding 220,000 Volts | 5.18 m | 5.18 m |
The regulation also specifies the limits of the height above the ground that should have between aoverhead lineis over or along a road or over any other location accessible or inaccessible to vehicular traffic.
HEIGHT ABOVE THE GROUND OF OVERHEAD LINES (Regu 30)
| Nominal voltages | Over Roads | Along Roads | Over Other Locations Accessible to Vehicular Traffic | Over Other locations inaccessible to vehicular traffic |
| Not exceeding 1000 Volts | 5.5 m | 4.9 m | 4.9 m | 4.6 m |
| Exceeding 1000 Volts but not exceeding 11,000 Volts | 6.1 m | 5.2 m | 5.2 m | 4.6 m |
| Exceeding 11,000 Volts but not exceeding 33,000 Volts | 6.4 m | 6.1 m | 6.1 m | 4.9 m |
| Exceeding 33,000 Volts but not exceeding 132,000 Volts | 6.7 m | 6.7 m | 6.7 m | 6.7 m |
| Exceeding 132,000 Volts but not exceeding 220,000 Volts | 7.0 m | 7.0 m | 7.0 m | 7.0 m |
