Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
CG-DL-E-14012026-269345
No. 19] NEW DELHI, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026/PAUSHA 22, 1947
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
(NATIONAL AUTHORITY)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 2nd January, 2026
G.S.R. 19(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by section 43 of the Recycling of
Ships Act, 2019 (49 of 2019), with the previous approval of the Central Government, the
National Authority hereby makes the following regulations, namely: —
1. Short title and commencement.– (1) These regulations may be called the Recycling of
Ships Regulations, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Application. –– Unless otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of these regulations
shall apply to—
(a) all ship recycling facilities operating in India or within any area falling under the
exclusive territorial jurisdiction of India;
(b) any existing ship which is registered in India wherever it maybe;
(c) any new ship which is required to be registered in India, wherever it may be;
(d) ships, other than those referred to in clauses (ii) and (iii), that enter a port, shipyard
or off-shore terminal or a place in India or within the Exclusive Economic Zone or
territorial waters of India or any marine areas adjacent thereto over which India has,
or may have, exclusive jurisdiction with respect to control of pollution under the
provisions of the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone
and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 (80 of 1976), or any other law for the time being
in force;
any warship, naval auxiliary or other ship owned or operated by an Administration and
used on Government non-commercial service, and which is destined for recycling in
a ship recycling facility operating in or within the territorial jurisdiction of India.
3. Definitions. — (1) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, —
(a) “Act” means the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 (49 of2019);
(b) “Atomic Energy Regulatory Board” means the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
constituted by the Government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy vide
notification numberS.O. 4772, dated the 15th day of November, 1983;
(c) “Central Pollution Control Board” means the Central Pollution Control Board
constituted under section 3 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1974 (6 of 1974);
(d) “certificate of authorization” means the certificate of authorization issued in
accordance with sub-section (6) of section 12 of the Act;
(e) “competent person” means the competent person as defined under the Factories Act,
1948 (63 of 1948);
(f) “Convention” means the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009, signed at Hong Kong on the 15th
day of May, 2009;
(g) “Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health” means the Directorate of Industrial
Safety and Health looks after the enforcement of laws governing under the provisions
of the Factories Act,1948 (63 of 1948);
(h) “form” means the forms appended to these regulations;
(i) “gross tonnage” means the gross tonnage calculated in accordance with the tonnage
measurement regulations contained in Annex 1 to the International Convention on
Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 or any successor Convention as ratified or
acceded to or adopted by the Government of India;
(j) “IMO MEPC Guidelines” means the guidelines adopted by a resolution of the Marine
Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime
Organization/IMO;
(k) “International Maritime Organization” means an Organization of the United Nations
with responsibility for the safety and security ofshipping and the prevention of marine
and atmospheric pollution by ships;
(l) “Inventory of Hazardous Materials” means the inventory of hazardous materials
developed by the guidelines, provided by the Marine Environment Protection
Committee of the International Maritime Organization;
(m) "lifting appliance" means all stationary or mobile cargo handling appliances
including their permanent attachments, such as cranes, derricks shore-based power
operated ramps used on shore or on-board ship for suspending, raising or lowering,
cargo or moving them from one position to another while suspended or supported, in
connection with the recycling work and includes lifting;
(n) “Light Ship Displacement Tonnage (LDT)” meansthe measure of actual weight of
the ship with no fuel, passengers, cargo, water on board;
(o) "loose gear" means hook, shackle, swivel, chain, wire rope, sling, lifting beam,
container spreader, tray and any other such gear, by means of which the load can be
attached to a lifting appliance and includes lifting device;
(p) “National Institute of Occupational Health” meansthe Institute under the aegis of the
Indian Council of Medical Research/ICMR under the Department of Health
Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare;
(q) “non-Convention ship” means a ship described under paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article
3 of the Convention;
(r) “non-party” means a country which is not a party to the Convention;
(s) “Port Authority" means a person appointed and authorized by the State Maritime
Board or any officer appointed and authorized by the Board of a Major Port Authority
under the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (1 of 2021) to act as Port Authority;
(t) “Radiological Safety Officer” means any person who is so designated by the State
Maritime Board or the State Government and approved by the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board as per the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules,2004;
(u) “recognized authority” means such person or organization specified by the National
Authority or Competent Authority in accordance with sub- section (2) of section 40
of the Act;
(v) “rules” means the Recycling of Ships Rules, 2021;
(w) “Safe-for-entry” means a space that meets the following criteria, namely: ––
(i) the oxygen content of the atmosphere is within the range of 20.6% to 22%
by volume and the concentration of flammable vapours is not more than
1% of their lower flammable limit (LFL), measured using a suitably
sensitive combustible gas indicator; and
(ii) the concentration of any toxic vapours and gases is not more than 50% of
their occupational exposure limit (OEL); and
(iii) any residues or materials associated with the work authorized by the
competent person will not produce uncontrolled release of toxic materials
or an unsafe concentration of flammable vapours under existing
atmospheric conditions;
(x) “Safe-for-hot work” means a space that meets the followingcriteria, namely: ––
(i) a safe, non-explosive condition, including gas-free status, exists for the use
of electric arc or gas welding equipment, cutting or burning equipment or
other forms of naked flame, as well as heating, grinding, or spark
generating operations;
(ii) requirements of Safe-for-entry;
(iii) existing atmospheric conditions will not change as a result of the hot work;
and
(iv) all adjacent spaces have been cleaned, or inserted, or treated sufficiently to
prevent the start or spread of fire;
(y) “Safety Officer” means the Officer appointed under section 40B of the Factories Act
1948(63 of 1948);
(z) "safe working load " in relation to an article of loose gear or lifting appliance means
the load which is the maximum load that may be imposed with safety in the normal
working conditions and as assessed and certified by the competent person;
(aa) schedule” means the schedules appended to these regulations;
(bb) “site inspection” means an inspection of the ship recycling facility confirming the
condition described by the verified documentation;
(cc) “State Maritime Board” means the State Maritime Board constituted by the State
Government under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 (27 of 2025);
(dd) “special concern ships” means a war ship, nuclear powered ships and naval vessels,
large passenger ships of more than 20,000 LDT, tankers and other classes of ships as
specified in Third Schedule;
(ee) “State Pollution Control Board” means the Board constituted under sub-section (1)
of section 4 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (6 of 1974);
(ff) “supervisor” means safety supervisor appointed to supervise safety provisions in
hazardous processes as per clause (b) of section 41C of the Factories Act, 1948(63 of
1948);
(2) The words and expressions used in these regulations and defined in the Act and rules shall
have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Act and the rules.
4. Requirements for ship recycling facilities. –– (1) The ship recycling facility shall be
designed, constructed, and operated in a safe and environmentally sound manner in accordance
with the provisions of these regulations as specified in the First Schedule.
(2) The ship recycling facility shall have certificate of authorization issued in Form 3 which
has been obtained in accordance with rule 11 of the Recycling of Ships Rules, 2021 as the
Certificate of Authorization or the Document of Authorization for Ship Recycling/DASR.
(3) The ship recycling facility shall have established management systems, procedures and
techniques that do not pose health risks to the workers or to the population in the vicinity of the
ship recycling facility and which shall prevent, reduce, minimize and to the extent practicable
eliminate adverse effects on the environment caused by recycling.
5. Ship recycling facility management plan. –– (1) Every ship recycling facility to which
these regulations apply shall prepare a ship recycling facility management plan for the approval
of Competent Authority in accordance with the applicable IMO MEPC Guidelines containing
the following, namely: –
(a) a policy ensuring safety of the workers and the protection of human health and the
environment, including the establishment of objectives that lead to the minimization
and elimination to the extent practicable of the adverse effects on human health and
the environment caused by ship recycling in compliance with the specific
requirements laid down under the First Schedule;
(b) a system for ensuring implementation of the requirements set out in the Act, the
achievement of the goals set out in the policy of the recycling facility company, and
the continuous improvement of the procedures and standards used in the ship
recycling operations;
(c) identification of roles and responsibilities for employers and workers when
conducting ship recycling operations;
(d) a programme for providing appropriate information and training of workers for the
safe and environmentally sound operation of the ship recycling facility;
(e) emergency preparedness and response plan;
(f) a system for monitoring the performance of shiprecycling;
(g) a record-keeping system showing how the ship recycling is carried out;
(h) a system for reporting discharges, emissions, incidents and accidents causing
damage, or with the potential of causing damage, to workers’ safety, human health
and the environment; and
(i) a system for reporting