VOA标准英语2008年-India Grapples With Huge Power Shortfalls

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
06 June 2008

India is coping with huge energy shortfalls as a growing economy raises demand for power. But as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the government has pledged to cover the gap in five years.
　

Electrician repairs power cable on electricity pole in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, 12 May 2008

Temperatures frequently soar above 40 degrees Celsius¹ across the vast plains of India as the summer heat peaks. But for most people, like 54-year-old Renuka Taimni in New Delhi, the sweltering heat is worsened by the frequent power outages.

"The frig did not work, the AC does not work, brings life to a standstill, you can't do anything, you just sit waiting for the power to come back," said Taimni.

The situation is equally bad across other big cities such as Kolkata or Mumbai.

And it is much worse in smaller towns and rural areas, where power blackouts can last for more than 12 hours a day. Last month, violent protests erupted across India's most populous² state, Uttar Pradesh, as long outages left people without fans and even drinking water.

Power blackouts have been a regular feature of life in India for many years. But a five-year-long economic boom has intensified³ these shortages as expanding industries guzzle⁴ more power, and a growing middle class can afford more air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.

An energy advisor⁵ to the Confederation of Indian Industry, V. Raghuraman, says the current power capacity generation is about 14 percent short of demand.

"For the last 15-16 years we have not been able to add capacities required. The power-demand supply gap has been actually increasing year after year," said Raghuraman.

The government has promised to change that, and provide power to all by 2012.

Industry experts like Raghuraman say the situation will improve in the coming years because massive investments are in the pipeline⁶.

"The investments are more than $200 billion say in the next five years … we believe a good amount of capacity will come in the next five to six years," said Raghuraman.

The power plants being built by the government are expected to add 70,000 megawatts of power generation. They include thermal⁷ and hydroelectric plants.

The private sector⁸ is also making large investments in power projects.

However, skeptics fear that many of these projects will face delays, and the gap between demand and supply will continue to grow in the coming years.

But optimists⁹ hope the power sector might replicate¹⁰ the success of the telecommunication¹¹ industry. A decade ago, it could take years to obtain a phone line, but now the privatized industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world.

1 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

2 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 guzzle   

v.狂饮，暴食

参考例句：

• Melissa had guzzled gin and tonics like they were lemonade.梅利莎像喝柠檬汽水一样大口地喝着加奎宁水的杜松子酒。
• Pigs guzzle their food.猪总是狼吞虎咽地吃东西。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

7 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 optimists   

n.乐观主义者( optimist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even optimists admit the outlook to be poor. 甚至乐观的人都认为前景不好。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Optimists reckon house prices will move up with inflation this year. 乐观人士认为今年的房价将会随通货膨胀而上涨。 来自辞典例句

10 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

11 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。