Hurricane lamps, chimney lamps and charcoal irons make a comeback

With the fuel shortage and long standing power outages during the day and the night, there has been a huge demand for kerosene lamps in the market.

Traders in Jaffna said even hurricane lamps and chimney lamps are in short supply and prices have skyrocketed over the weeks. Right now, one hurricane lamp is being sold at a price between Rs. 3200 and 3500, while chimney lamps are being sold at Rs. 2500.

Parents of school children are forced to buy these items at exorbitant rates to ensure their kids can study at night rather than them spending time with mobile phones, one such parent lamented.

Charcoal irons priced at Rs. 1500, also made a return replacing electric irons.

“It is like the wartime period before 2009, where we had to bear extended power cuts and fuel shortages. We were able to survive amidst many hardships then but I am not sure if we can tackle the current crisis since many things changed over years including peoples’ lifestyles,” said a parent of three school children.