Blackout In This Union Territory For 36 Hours; Water Supply, Hospitals & Traffic Lights Hit

Chandigarh: A three-day strike by electricity department workers has left parts of Chandigarh without electricity and water for over 36 hours. There has been no power or water in thousands of homes since Monday evening. There is chaos in the country’s most well-planned cities as even traffic lights are not working in many areas.

Government hospitals have rescheduled many surgeries. “We have a backup plan like we have generators. But you cannot put 100 per cent load of a hospital on a generator. So, we had to reschedule or postpone our planned surgeries,” Chandigarh Health Services Director Suman Singh told news agency PTI.

The power cut has also shut down online classes and coaching institutes in the UT.

The administration has, in court, accused striking workers of “acts of sabotage”. The electricity workers are protesting against the privatisation of the electricity department. Union Territory Advisor Dharam Pal held a meeting with the union to persuade them to call off the strike. The protesting employees fear privatisation will change their work terms and also drive up power tariffs, NDTV reported.

On Tuesday evening, the Chandigarh administration enforced the Essential Services Maintenance Act, banning strikes by the electricity department for six months, the report added.