87 of 172 power projects register for water cess

As many as 87 hydroelectric power projects have registered themselves for water cess. The state Jal Shakti Department had issued notices to 172 power projects for the imposition of water cess.

Sources say that many projects have adopted the policy of wait and watch as the issue is likely to be embroiled in legal wrangles. “There is a provision in the Himachal Pradesh Water Cess on Hydropower Generation Act that if a power producer fails to register with the Jal Shakti Department within a month, its registration will be considered deemed,” says a senior official.