National hydro policy to meet India’s power demands

The Ministry of Power (MoP) recently published the National Hydro Policy, 2008. The need for quicker harnessing of the country’s hydro potential was the stated objective for formulation of the policy.

Hydro power, also known as hydraulic or water power, is a system that converts the captured energy of flowing water into electricity. It is a renewable, efficient, non-polluting and environmentally friendly source of energy.

Overcoming India’s dire need for reliable power supplies is essential to the country’s development. According to the World Bank, power shortages and the lack of sufficient electricity severely hinder India’s economic development, affecting commercial productivity, disrupting education, contributing adversely to health problems and increasing the costs of doing business in India.

Akshay Jaitly is a partner, Shailendra Kumar Singh is a senior associate and Anuja Tiwari is an associate at Trilegal in Delhi. The firm has offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and has over 100 lawyers, some of whom have experience with law firms in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.