July 31, 201214 yr Active Members 600 million people are now without electricity in India as a power failure is in its second day. What is shocking about this number is that half of those people would not have power even if there was no electric failure. 300 million people in India go without electricity every single day! I find that shocking!
July 31, 201214 yr I've never been more shocked than I was on my first business trip to Mumbai. The dichotomy of wealth versus the poor is extreme in that country. Frankly it broke my heart.
July 31, 201214 yr I don't. I was there a few months back and I have to say that the entire countries infrastructure is a mess. I was in very nice hotels and I did not go one day without the electricity going off at least one time. With my hotels, it was not for a long time as they have back up generators but it happened daily. Also, every person I know in India comes from a village that has power cut off so many hours per day to conserve electricity. Like you, my mind was blown to learn this as some go 12 hours per day or more without it. I was shocked when I was there. But, since then I am no longer surprised.
July 31, 201214 yr Active Members Ah, yes, but there are bargains to be had if you know how to climb a pole. Some say as much as half of India's electricity is pirated, making it harder to fund new infrastructure. Turns out I'm no stranger to power outages myself. Every winter, falling branches from winter winds and rain knock out electricity where I live. Until state regulators started charging the local utility twenty-five dollars a day per customer, we were often dark for days at a time. Usually found something to do.
July 31, 201214 yr Believe it or not much of the Indian infrastructure dates back to the final days of the British Raj. Since that time the national government has keep things working by simply patch things together with spit, gum and bailing wire. Americans who visit India usually love it or hate it. I have been there twice and count myself amongst the love it crowd. The natural scenery, the architecture and the people are magical. Yes the contrast between rich and poor can be overwhelming but it is still an incredible place to visit. The sight of only two man made things has brought me to tears. Being a happy old f-g the David in Florence was one but the other was the Taj Mahal. It is beautiful beyond description and at times seems to shimmer in place. I need to take one more trip and visit the southern part of the country which is very different from northern and central India.
August 1, 201214 yr Author Active Members India has its power back, thankfully. I woke up in the middle of the night and this came to my mind. I hate that the distribution of wealth is so uneven- there or anywhere. I hate that the Catholic church continues to insist women not use birth control, thus ensuring a big population of unwanted babies and even wanted babies in homes that cannot afford them. The poor kids don't stand a chance of escaping hell on earth.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.