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North American Blackout Experience Pales in Comparison to Other Nations' Power Shortages
Aired August 15, 2003 - 14:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, no lights, no TV, no air conditioning, maybe no running water. It's a horrible ordeal for 50 million North Americans, and everyday reality for millions more around the world.
Now in Iraq, for instance, there's not much sympathy for the U.S. blackouts. Still Iraqis offered these helpful tips to the Associated Press. Sleep on the roof, shower frequently. Consult Iraqis, one says. We have a lot of experience on these matters. Use foul language. We're not totally sure that that helps. And finally, take to the streets. Says one, I'd suggest Americans go out and demonstrate.
Tens of millions of people in India meanwhile are even less empowered, and CNN's Ram Ramgopal, enlightens us now from New Dheli. And, Ram, I can even see the difference of you in the bureau and me in the bureau. You don't really have a lot of light there, do you?
RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sometimes these issues come up, Kyra. As you can imagine as an anchor, you just live through these things.
I can certainly tell you that in India many of the people are surprised that the world's most powerful country can be without power for so long, so many hours really. But in India, of course, there's nobody is a stranger to these issues of power shortages and electricity breakdowns.
In fact these pictures you're seeing were shot very recently in the past summer where we saw a kite maker basically trying to do his work in the candlelight because there was no power and he had to finish his night's work before he went home. As you can imagine, it's one issue that people here in the capital are very used to. This capital is power hungry, power starved.
Each American, to just give you way of comparison, uses about 30 times more than what an average Indian uses in terms of power. Yet there's enormous shortages because the U.S. produces 8 times more electricity than what India does. And as you can imagine the U.S. is actually one-fourth the size of India in terms of population. So these are all very familiar issues for many of us here in India -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, Ram, we're looking at of these pictures now of some of the powerlines. And I was talking to Satinder Bindra, he's here in the state right now, your co-worker. And I understand that those in India are calling us all wimps because of this power outage.
Tell us what theft, the theft of electricity in India is like. I understand it's a common occurrence.
RAMGOPAL: Indeed, it is, especially in the capital where power for long has been very unregulated. The utilities were government run, so there were not many people to go out there and police what exactly happened. You found power lines being siphoned off, as it were. The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) powerlines that are just illegally picked up and cut off. Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. Ram Ramgopal, a little different look at the electricity situation or the power situation throughout the world. We are pretty lucky when we hear stories like that from you. Ram Ramgopal, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Other Nations' Power Shortages>
Aired August 15, 2003 - 14:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, no lights, no TV, no air conditioning, maybe no running water. It's a horrible ordeal for 50 million North Americans, and everyday reality for millions more around the world.
Now in Iraq, for instance, there's not much sympathy for the U.S. blackouts. Still Iraqis offered these helpful tips to the Associated Press. Sleep on the roof, shower frequently. Consult Iraqis, one says. We have a lot of experience on these matters. Use foul language. We're not totally sure that that helps. And finally, take to the streets. Says one, I'd suggest Americans go out and demonstrate.
Tens of millions of people in India meanwhile are even less empowered, and CNN's Ram Ramgopal, enlightens us now from New Dheli. And, Ram, I can even see the difference of you in the bureau and me in the bureau. You don't really have a lot of light there, do you?
RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sometimes these issues come up, Kyra. As you can imagine as an anchor, you just live through these things.
I can certainly tell you that in India many of the people are surprised that the world's most powerful country can be without power for so long, so many hours really. But in India, of course, there's nobody is a stranger to these issues of power shortages and electricity breakdowns.
In fact these pictures you're seeing were shot very recently in the past summer where we saw a kite maker basically trying to do his work in the candlelight because there was no power and he had to finish his night's work before he went home. As you can imagine, it's one issue that people here in the capital are very used to. This capital is power hungry, power starved.
Each American, to just give you way of comparison, uses about 30 times more than what an average Indian uses in terms of power. Yet there's enormous shortages because the U.S. produces 8 times more electricity than what India does. And as you can imagine the U.S. is actually one-fourth the size of India in terms of population. So these are all very familiar issues for many of us here in India -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, Ram, we're looking at of these pictures now of some of the powerlines. And I was talking to Satinder Bindra, he's here in the state right now, your co-worker. And I understand that those in India are calling us all wimps because of this power outage.
Tell us what theft, the theft of electricity in India is like. I understand it's a common occurrence.
RAMGOPAL: Indeed, it is, especially in the capital where power for long has been very unregulated. The utilities were government run, so there were not many people to go out there and police what exactly happened. You found power lines being siphoned off, as it were. The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) powerlines that are just illegally picked up and cut off. Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. Ram Ramgopal, a little different look at the electricity situation or the power situation throughout the world. We are pretty lucky when we hear stories like that from you. Ram Ramgopal, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Other Nations' Power Shortages>
