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How Delhi cut electricity loss from 50 to 5 percent

592 points · 336 comments · rbanffy

  1. motionlessveloc · · focus · HN ↗
    I wonder how many HNers recall life in Delhi even 20 years ago? Cutting electricity loss is one thing, but getting rid of "load shedding" (unplanned power cuts) is the really revolutionary part. It was not uncommon for the power to go out several times a day and you had to rush to unplug expensive appliances (TV, laptop), because when the power came back it was often accompanied by a surge. My office was wired with two sets of electrical sockets, one connected to grid mains and the other connected to the UPS (for important equipment only).
    1. belowavgiq · · focus · HN ↗
      India's ongoing growth, and overall the positive sentiment of the population, is such a breath of fresh air compared to the decadent west. I have had a few friends from there for almost a decade and the improvement has been huge. It's just a shame that you are also speedrunning population collapse. Modi completely ignoring the cratering birth rates under him is a real hero.
      1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
        > population collapse

        There are 1.2 billion Indians.

        1. belowavgiq · · focus · HN ↗
          True, let's put it this way then. In some time, there will be 1.2 billion >80 year olds and 100 million people under 18.

          You see, I know it's hard to grasp for some, but everything is really relative.

          1. idiotsecant · · focus · HN ↗
            This will in fact not happen. There are no models that result in 90% population depletion in less than 100 years
            1. belowavgiq · · focus · HN ↗
              This is an hyperbole, yes. Replace the 100 million value with 300, 400, 500, and my point isnt going to change.
              1. JumpCrisscross · · focus · HN ↗
                > Replace the 100 million value with 300, 400, 500, and my point isnt going to change

                Your ratios are all wrong. There are about 500mm Indians aged 6 to 26 today who will be over 80 (and under 100) by 2100. Even if nobody dies, India isn’t hitting 1.2bn 80-year olds. As for under-18s in that timeline, it ranges from 100 to 500 million depending on fertility.

                Put another way, there is no deterministic population collapse in India the way there almost must be in Korea and Germany.

                1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
                  Tempted to infuriate everyone in this thread by suggesting that the German population will also be fine .. due to Indians moving there.
                  1. [deleted] · · focus · HN ↗

                    [deleted]

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