To improve the understanding of the Inland Vessels (IV) Act, 2021, and its Rules, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways organized a workshop at New Delhi-based India Habitat Centre.

Workshop on Inland Vessels Act, Rules & Central Database turned out to be a successful day-long interactive session with all States, UTs, Maritime Boards, Vessel Operators & other stakeholders & will go a long way in streamlining the operations of inland vessels.

While inaugurating the workshop, the Chairman, IWAI, Shri Vijay Kumar, underlined that the workshop aims to bring clarity on various provisions of the Act and Rules and apprise participating representatives of States, Union Territories, Maritime Boards, and other stakeholders of the new concept of central database/ e-portal of inland vessels.

The original Act of 1917 was over a hundred years old and required a comprehensive review to meet the current and future aspirations of the industry and other stakeholders. The amended IV Act, 2021 ensures uniformity of rules for inland vessels throughout the country and extends to all inland waters of India including national waterways.

It envisages a Central Database/E-portal for the registration of vessels and maintaining crew database and is in sync with the Digital India campaign. It will help in improving processes, and transparency and facilitate data access.

The Act comprehensively addresses aspects related to inland vessels including their survey, registration, classification, pollution prevention measures, wreck and salvage procedures, insurance policies, and related aspects. It covers future developments and advancements in vessel construction and usage. It also takes in its fold the technologically advanced vessels of the future which are identified as Special Category Vessels.

Under the IV Act, 2021 - the certificate of survey and certificate of registration are considered valid throughout the country. Separate endorsements from the states are no longer needed. Provisions like these make it user-friendly and will promote Ease of Doing Business.

The Act establishes a centralized framework to replace state-specific rules. The role of the central government extends to prescribing standards for the classification and categorization of mechanically propelled vessels, standards and processes involved in the registration of vessels, and standards for the identification and categorization of special category vessels. The role of states extends to the implementation of provisions in compliance with prescribed standards of state governments. Besides it also emphasizes pollution prevention measures including waste management and eco-friendly vessel operations.