Day 301

The biggest black out of the world is here. It happened only in India. Around 684 million Indians, about ten per cent of world’s total population, were in total blackout. The people were in north, eastern and north eastern part of India. The reason of this total blackout is the collapse of three arterial power lines collapsed. This has affected not only the daily life routine of the country but it has caused devasting consequences. The blackout has affected the train services and air services in 21 states and union territories and the industrial production across the sectors. About 300 miners were struck in the coal mines out of which 200 miners have been rescued in the West Bengal. Airports, hospitals and offices were forced to use their back up power system. The whole economy is also affected by this blackout. The commuters had the maximum difficulties in going to office from and vice versa. The worst part was that many commuters were stuck in the metros in New Delhi and Kolkata. They were either stuck many feet above the ground were underground.

Surprisingly, the union cabinet shuffle happened on the same day. Power minister Sushil Shinde was promoted to Home ministry. Interesting. I know it would be called as the pre planned move because the Finance Ministry was without any minister after Mr Pranab Mukherjee became the President. But the situation is very much worse in the country as the government think it to be. As I have said earlier, not only the daily life is being affected but the economy is also suffering. Many mills and production units across the industries, the transportation of goods by railway has come to halt and many more.

In the western countries, media has started targeting the Indian government. Now they are saying that India wants to be the superpower but India struggle to manage its power problem. First of all, India should have a proper power then it should think of becoming superpower.

The comment of the western media is like a tight slap on the face Indian government. The grids were not maintained properly. The main fault for Tuesday’s blackout was trip at the grid at a power station near Agra. These grids and power stations were constructed in 1951. Now 60 years later, these grids and power stations are not sufficient to cater the increased power demand. Time has come for not only in the increment of power production but for the transmission also. The other reason given by the government officials that UP, Punjab and Haryana were overdrawing the power. If that is the case then why the other states are having blackouts. So instead of passing the blame on others, the officials should work seriously on the power issue.