VOA常速英语2007年-India to Invest Billions of Dollars to Improve

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
09 December 2007

India says it needs to invest billions of dollars to improve its creaking infrastructure¹. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the building of roads and ports has failed to keep pace with the country's runaway² economic growth in recent years.

Indian officials say infrastructure investment must increase dramatically if the country wants to sustain growth rates of around 9 percent.

The deputy chairman of the government's Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, told an economic summit in New Delhi recently that India needs to invest $500 billion in infrastructure projects over the next 5 years.

The government says it will provide 70 percent of the money. It is asking private investors³, domestic and foreign, to come up with the balance of about $150 billion.

A consultant⁴ at the Confederation of Indian Industry, Bidisha Ganguly, says India needs everything, from high-speed expressways, to new power plants, airports and freight corridors.

"It is very, very critical, and the good news is that you now have the government recognizing that and setting policy guidelines that gears up for an increase in investment in the infrastructure sector," said Ganguly. "Without that investment you could see some kind of slowdown in growth, you could also see disparities among states increasing."

The high growth in recent years has exposed the country's antiquated⁵ transport and power systems. Foreign businessmen say this often discourages them from scaling up investments in India.

Highways, used to transport most goods, account for only 2 percent of the country's roads. Average unloading and reloading time at clogged⁶ ports is 85 hours, 10 times longer than in Singapore or Hong Kong. Power cuts last for hours, even in the country's prime business districts.

The Asian Development Bank calls infrastructure the most pressing problem in the economy, and says the deficiencies have eroded⁷ growth already. Ganguly agrees.

"To an extent you can say it is already hurting," added Ganguly. "You may have been growing by 10 percent rather than the 8.5-9  percent that is likely this year."

For India, the challenge is not just finding the money, but moving people out of the way, in its more open and democratic society.

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

5 antiquated   

adj.陈旧的，过时的

参考例句：

• Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.很多工厂过于陈旧落后，已不值得挽救。
• A train of antiquated coaches was waiting for us at the siding.一列陈旧的火车在侧线上等着我们。

6 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

7 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。