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India battles infrastructure woesBy Satinder Bindra ON CNN INTERNATIONAL TV
SPECIAL REPORTYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSNew Delhi, India (CNN) -- As India rapidly heads towards superpower status, questions remain over its ability to tackle its infrastructure problems. In the capital New Delhi, electrical cables hung decades ago are causing major safety hazards, and power outages are common. The city's ability to deliver a regular water supply is often also tested, and water tankers regularly ship in water when the taps run dry. The irony is not lost on some of the city's residents. High-tech computer company worker Sohan Pal Singh, who lines up to get his meager share of water, is frustrated that the city can not meet the most basic of human needs. "Scores of people fight over the one tanker we get. The water doesn't last for more than five or 10 minutes,'' he says. Even if he manages to fill up two containers -- enough, he says, for a quick wash so he can get to work on time -- his bitterness remains, and he takes out his frustrations on the politicians. "They should at least come here and see for themselves the problems we are facing. One has to tackle crowds to get water," he says. The problem is perhaps best expressed in figures. With a population of just over 1 billion (about 230 million less than China), India spends just $35 billion a year on infrastructure. In comparison, China spends a comparatively whopping $260 billion annually. But India's government is quick to defend its position, saying it is addressing its infrastructure problems as best as possible. It points to New Delhi's new $2 billion subway system. Most of these air-conditioned trains run on time, and commuting times have dropped considerably. It also says that every day, India adds 7.5 kilometers (4.5 miles) to its existing highway network -- the construction part of an ambitious drive to upgrade 45,000 kilometers of national highways at a cost of $40 billion. The government says this spending should eventually negate criticism that it is not doing enough to create jobs. "We are employing something like 250,000 people on this road construction program. Then there is a big boost to the core industry in terms of steel and cement,'' a government spokesman says. But for all the government's claims, analysts still say India must boost infrastructure spending if it wants to attract international investment. 
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