Inland Vessels Act, 2021

The Inland Vessels Act, 2021 establishes a common legal framework for safe navigation on India's inland waters, including rivers, canals and lakes. Its safety regime centres on mechanically propelled inland vessels, regulating their construction, fitness, registration, staffing and operation through nationally prescribed standards implemented largely by State authorities.

Uniform standards and vessel fitness

The Act replaces the Inland Vessels Act, 1917 and moves from differing State-level requirements towards a uniform regulatory framework. Safety begins with ensuring that a vessel is suitable for the waters and service in which it operates.

• The Central Government prescribes standards covering vessel design, construction, survey and safety equipment.
• Mechanically propelled inland vessels must undergo survey and certification to establish their fitness for operation.
• Inland waters are classified into zones according to navigational conditions, and a vessel's survey certification specifies the zones for which it is fit.
• The Act provides for registration and recognition of registration and survey certificates across India, without removing the operating limits attached to certification.

Safe staffing, equipment and navigation

The regime combines a seaworthy vessel with competent personnel and enforceable operating rules. Compliance is therefore a continuing obligation, not merely a condition for initial registration.

• The manning requirements govern the personnel needed aboard a vessel, while competency certification regulates qualifications for designated roles such as master and engineer.
• Vessels must carry prescribed life-saving, firefighting and navigational equipment appropriate to the applicable requirements.
• Navigation rules regulate matters such as lights, signals and precautions against collision.
• The Act regulates passenger carriage and the carriage of dangerous goods to address risks arising from overloading and hazardous cargo.
• It also prohibits specified pollution discharges and provides for measures to prevent and respond to pollution from vessels.

Accountability and implementation

The Central Government sets the common regulatory standards, while State Governments and designated authorities carry out key functions such as registration, surveys and enforcement.

• Accidents and casualties are subject to reporting and investigation, enabling authorities to determine causes and responsibility.
• Compulsory insurance provisions address specified third-party risks, including death or bodily injury arising from vessel use.
• Inspection powers and penalties support enforcement against unsafe or non-compliant operation.