By Uditha Jayasinghe

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – On Thursday, large areas of Sri Lanka suffered electricity blackouts. This was after a strike by the power sector union against new regulations. The strikes were a result of a country in crisis.

Around 900 of Sri Lanka’s 1,100 state-run Ceylon Electricity Board engineers went on strike at midnight. They halted operations at eight hydropower stations that produce around 1,000 MW.

Sri Lanka’s 22million inhabitants are currently in the midst of severe financial trouble. They face serious shortages of fuel and medicines, as well as record levels of inflation and devaluation.

To stop the strike by CEB Engineers Union, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka issued late Wednesday a gazette notice declaring that electricity supply is an essential service.

According to the law, engineers must report to their work.

“President Rajapaksa called President Rajapaksa late last evening and appealed not to allow the whole grid to collapse. “So we are working towards ensuring hospitals and other essential services remain power,” Eranga Kudahewa, the union joint secretary, told Reuters.

He said, “But the strike would continue.”

The union opposes government plans to modify legislation that governs the country’s electricity sector. This includes removing any restrictions on competition for projects using renewable energy.

Renewable energy is being promoted by the government as a solution to the nation’s power crisis. The amendments will allow quicker approval and faster implementation.

Janaka Ratnayake is the chairman of Sri Lanka’s power regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. He stated that hydropower has caused power outages in some areas, which included parts of Colombo, the capital city.

Ratnayake stated to Reuters that she is working on restoring services and would talk to the unions in order to minimize public inconvenience.

Long-lasting power outages in Sri Lanka this year were caused by inability to import the fuel required to produce electricity. However, things have improved since monsoon rains helped to boost hydropower generation.