India has introduced new rules to improve safety for inland waterways transport and salvage
The Indian Government’s Inland Vessels Act 2021 sets out rules for safer navigation for passenger vessels, including roro and ropax, tankers and dry cargo vessels. It also covers aspects of insurance, wreck and salvage, liability limitation and other administrative provisions.
Based on this 2021 act, Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) drafted inland vessel rules (IV Rules 2022), in consultation with Ministry, state governments and other stakeholders. The draft IV Rules 2022 and regulations for constructing and classifying inland waterways ships are ship-type specific to ensure safety of cargo, assets and the environment.
The Inland Vessels Act 2021 will help “integrated vessel movements throughout waterways and establish uniformity in law and standardised provisions,” said IRS, also India’s classification society.
“The Inland Vessels Act 2021 addresses safety and pollution control norms and makes provisions for the use of new and special category vessels.” It also specifies retrieval of wreck and salvage norms.
“IRS has been privileged to offer crucial advice on the hugely important Inland Vessels Act 2021 and in developing draft IV Rules 2022, along with Inland Waterways Authority of India,” said IRS vice president K K Dhawan.
“Implementing and refining the highest safety standards possible across inland waterways will not only save lives but also aid economic growth across India.”
For the purpose of these rules, an inland vessel includes any mechanically propelled inland vessel or non-mechanically propelled inland vessel registered and plying in inland waters in India. Inland waters are canals, rivers, lakes or other navigable waters in national limits declared by India’s central government.
Under the 2021 act, a casualty includes any vessel that is lost, abandoned or materially damaged, or has caused loss of material or damage to any other vessel, or caused any loss of life, personal injury or pollution.
India’s government has highlighted an owner, operator, master or person in-charge of a vessel plying in inland waters should not intentionally abandon, desert, dump, throw overboard or jettison the vessel, property, parts or cargo, so as to cause wreckage.
The state government may, by notification, appoint or authorise any officer to act as receiver of a wreck within the respective jurisdiction. The owner, operator, master or person in-charge of vessel, property or cargo, which is wrecked, stranded or in distress – or who has found any vessel, property or cargo wrecked, stranded or in distress in the inland waters – should immediately inform, by all means of communication to the receiver of wreck in those jurisdictions.
IRS is an international society providing ship classification and certification and technical inspection services. IRS is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies.
More information on India’s Inland Vessels 2021 Act can be viewed here
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