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IRL (In Real Life) => Current Events => Topic started by: mirth on July 31, 2012, 11:03:31 AM

Title: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2012, 11:03:31 AM
I'm sure many of you have heard about this by now. Half of India is without electricity after the power grids in the north and east tanked.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/world/asia/power-outages-hit-600-million-in-india.html?hp
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 11:17:09 AM
I'd hate to imagine life in India without air conditioning.

I wonder if the call centers have back-up generators?
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: DoctorQuest on July 31, 2012, 12:13:24 PM
I work for an Indian company (not by choice) and I'm surprised we have not heard more about it.

Yes, you would think the major companies would have backup electrical infrastructure.

Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: LongBlade on July 31, 2012, 12:58:19 PM
Quote from: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 11:17:09 AM
I wonder if the call centers have back-up generators?

Ha! That's funny.

More seriously - I'm not sure what is happening over there, but it sounds like most of the country blacked out. That can't be good.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 31, 2012, 01:08:00 PM
This never would have happened under the Raj, what what!

*dons pith helmet and monocle, wanders off in a gin-soaked funk*
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: LongBlade on July 31, 2012, 01:13:42 PM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 31, 2012, 01:08:00 PM
This never would have happened under the Raj, what what!

*dons pith helmet and monocle, wanders off in a gin-soaked funk*

Well, I will be curious to discover exactly how India managed to wipe out its entire power grid. Specifically, I'm curious to know whether it was self-inflicted or if they had some help (a la some kind of hacking/cyber attack). My gut tells me that it was probably self-inflicted, but I'd like to know for sure.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Jarhead0331 on July 31, 2012, 01:13:59 PM
I thought more than half of India already was without electricity...you learn something new every day.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 01:17:57 PM
Yeah but half of the other half is now without electricity.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2012, 01:49:54 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 31, 2012, 01:13:59 PM
I thought more than half of India already was without electricity...you learn something new every day.

You're not far off. From the NY Times article-

QuoteAn estimated 300 million Indians have no routine access to electricity.

Ponder this too -

QuoteThe power failure spread across 22 of the country's 28 states, an area whose population is nearly 700 million, almost 10 percent of the world's population.

Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 01:53:06 PM
Whoa!
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 01:54:19 PM
You know, my home internet and e-mail went down for a little while last night, and we've been having some network problems at work today... I wonder if it's connected?
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2012, 01:59:18 PM
Quote from: Centurion40 on July 31, 2012, 01:54:19 PM
You know, my home internet and e-mail went down for a little while last night, and we've been having some network problems at work today... I wonder if it's connected?

I hope not. We need you posting pics to the Lingerie Channel!
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 31, 2012, 02:01:12 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on July 31, 2012, 01:13:42 PM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 31, 2012, 01:08:00 PM
This never would have happened under the Raj, what what!

*dons pith helmet and monocle, wanders off in a gin-soaked funk*

Well, I will be curious to discover exactly how India managed to wipe out its entire power grid. Specifically, I'm curious to know whether it was self-inflicted or if they had some help (a la some kind of hacking/cyber attack). My gut tells me that it was probably self-inflicted, but I'd like to know for sure.

Initial reports on our ever so wonderful Indian channel are blaming it on local corruption.  Each state on the power grid was allotted a percentage of power and nearly all were drawing more than their max limit. 
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2012, 02:10:39 PM
Sounds like a real CF. People not willing to actually do their jobs.

QuoteSurendra Rao, who was the chairman of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in 2001, when the nation's last major blackout occurred, said that a fairly sophisticated system of circuit breakers should have prevented the failures on Monday and Tuesday. But, he said, the people manning the circuit breakers are bureaucrats beholden to state government officials, who are loath to have the power in their locality shut off — the usual prescription when power surges threaten the national grid.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Gusington on August 01, 2012, 06:09:21 PM
Damn JH beat me to it. Who knew that half off the subcontinent was electrified to begin with? he NYTimes article posted above also went on to mention that brown outs and scattered outages are pretty routine across India and that most Indians were pretty 'meh' about the whole thing.
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Staggerwing on August 01, 2012, 06:44:23 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 01, 2012, 06:09:21 PM
Damn JH beat me to it. Who knew that half off the subcontinent was electrified to begin with? he NYTimes article posted above also went on to mention that brown outs and scattered outages are pretty routine across India and that most Indians were pretty 'meh' about the whole thing.

...and all the Call Centers have backup diesel generators. ;)
Title: Re: 600 Million Without Electricity in India
Post by: Steelgrave on August 01, 2012, 10:14:33 PM
That explains why I can't reach Dell......... :o