Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (Act No. 24 of 2021).

This Act provides for management and regulation of inland vessels. It consists of 114 sections across 18 Chapters: I. Preliminary; II. Declaration of Inland Water Area into Zones; III. Administrative Provisions; IV. Survey of Inland Vessels; V. Registration; VI. Manning, Qualification, Training, Examination and Certification; VII. Special Category Vessels; VIII. Navigation Safety and Signals; IX. Prevention of Pollution Caused by Inland Vessel; X. Wreck and Salvage; XI. Liability and Limitation of Liability; XII. Insurance of Mechanically Propelled Vessels Plying in Inland Water; XIII. Inquiry into Casualty, Accident or Wreck; XIV. Regulation of Trade Practices; XV. Pilotage, Vessel Detention and Development Fund; XVI. Offences and Penalties; XVII. Non-Mechanically Propelled Inland Vessel; and XVIII. Miscellaneous.
Chapter II empowers the government to declare any inland water area to be a Zone depending on the maximum significant wave height mentioned therein. Chapter III defines the administrative role of Central Government and State Governments in respect of the Act and declares the Inland Waterways Authority of India to be the competent authority for the purposes of this Act. Chapter IV empowers the Central Government to classify mechanically propelled vessels (vessels), provide for the criteria and lay down the standards of design for such vessels. It also provides for appointment of surveyors and procedure for surveys, granting of survey certificates, suspension and cancellation of the same. Chapter V contains provisions relating to registration of Indian and certain foreign vessels and prohibits voyage of vessels without obtaining a certificate of registration. Chapter VI empowers the Central government to prescribe standards for qualification, training, training institutes, examination and minimum manning scale and manning requirements. Chapter VII provides for specifying the criteria and standards for any special category of vessels to be created and provisions relating thereto.
Chapter VIII contains provisions to ensure navigation safety; specifications and requirements of signals and equipment; distress signal; lifesaving, fire safety and communication appliances. Chapter IX requires the chemicals discharged from vessels to be designated as pollutants and every vessel shall carry a certificate of prevention of pollution issued thereunder. Chapter X prohibits the owner, operator, master or person in-charge of a vessel to intentionally abandon, desert, dump, throw overboard or jettison the vessel or property or parts or cargo, so as to cause wreck in inland waters. Chapter XI provides for liability in respect of offences and contraventions of the provisions of this Act and Chapter XII contains provisions relating to insurance of vessels in inland waters. Chapter XIII provides for reporting and enquiry into any wreck, abandonment, casualty, accident to or on board any vessel. Chapter XIV requires the Central Government to declare the list of dangerous goods that may be carried subject to conditions and goods that are prohibited on vessels. Chapter XV provides for pilotage, vessel detention and constitution of a development fund for activities mentioned therein. Chapter XVI provides for Offences and Penalties. Chapter XVII contains provisions relating to non-mechanically propelled inland vessels. Chapter XVIII provides for emergency preparedness, power of central and state government to make rules.