> "Blackouts lasting up to eight hours a day are frequent in much of the country" This particular blackout is only marginally worse than the situation the comm

> "Blackouts lasting up to eight hours a day are frequent in much of the country" This particular blackout is only marginally worse than the situation the common Indian is already in. The situation is so bad that blackouts are a part and parcel of normal life in India. The situation does vary a lot over the country - some of the more fortunate parts enjoy an average of 23 hours of power a day. Some places have it really bad with "cuts" of 10 - 15 hrs a day not uncommon. Power generation is not enough to satisfy the demand. This isn't because of the lack of power plants alone. The existing power plants are mismanaged and often produce less power than they are designed for because of faulty components. New power plants often get stuck with political problems.