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Core Purpose

Proposes amendments to the Inland Vessels (Design and Construction) Rules, 2024, concerning design, construction, and safety standards.

Detailed Summary

This notification from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways introduces the Inland Vessel (Design and Construction) (First Amendment) Rules, 2025, modifying the 2024 Rules. The amendments refine definitions for 'Gross Tonnage' based on vessel length using international standards, 'machinery spaces', and 'classification society requirements'. Key changes include revisions to Rule 4 concerning vessel categories (A, B, C) and operational zones (1, 2, 3), clarifying design, construction, and survey protocols. Further modifications address owner's discretion in survey selection, sill height for smaller vessels in Zone 3, machinery noise mitigation, indicator usage for smaller vessels, and vehicle lashing standard compliance. These rules take effect upon final publication in the Official Gazette.

Full Text

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-25022025-261311 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 113] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2025/PHALGUNA 6, 1946 MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 25th February, 2025 G.S.R. 147(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 7 of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (24 of 2021), the Central Government proposes to amend the Inland Vessels (Design and Construction) Rules, 2024 notified by the Government of India in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways vide number G.S.R. 295 (E) dated the 28th May, 2024 and hereby publish as required by sub-section (1) of section 106 of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (24 of 2021) for information of all persons likely to be affected thereby; and notice is hereby given that the said draft rules shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of thirty days from the date on which the copies of this notification, as published in the Official Gazette, are made available to the public; Objections or suggestions, if any, to these draft rules may be sent to the Director (IWT), Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Room No. 536, Transport Bhawan, 1-Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001, or by email at dsiwt- psw@gov.in and uttam.mishra27@gov.in within the period specified above; Draft Amendment 1. (1) These rules may be called as Inland Vessel (Design and Construction) (First Amendment) Rules, 2025. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the Inland Vessel (Design and Construction Rules), 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules) in rule 3, in sub-rule (1) - i. after the clause (m), the following explanation shall be inserted, namely: - "Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-rule, Gross Tonnage of vessels above 24 meters shall be calculated according to International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 whereas Gross Tonnage of vessels less than 24 meters shall be calculated according to Rule 2 of the Merchant Shipping (Tonnage Measurement of Ships) Rules, 1991." ii. clause (ma) shall be inserted, namely. – "(ma) "machinery spaces" are spaces between watertight boundaries of a space containing the main and auxiliary propulsion machinery including boilers, oil fuel units, steam and internal combustion engines, generators and major electrical machinery, ventilation and air conditioning machinery, and similar spaces; and trunks to such spaces."; iii. clause (pa) shall be inserted, namely. "(pa) "requirements of classification society" means the technical standards of any classification society according to which vessels are required to be designed and constructed." 3. In rule 4 of the said rules. i. sub-rule (5) shall be omitted. ii. in sub-rule (1), after the words “Category 'A' vessels which are decked vessels of any of the following types", the words "and are operating in Zone 1, namely” shall be omitted; iii. in sub-rule (2), the following sub-rule shall be substituted namely. "(2) Category 'A' vessels operating in Zone 1 shall be designed, constructed in accordance with the standards and design specified in the schedule or the requirements of classification society, and shall be designed, and constructed and maintained under the survey of classification society: Provided that the survey by the classification society shall be in addition to the survey conducted by the Designated Authority or as may be delegated by the State Government under sub-section (4) of section 12 of the Act."; iv. sub-rule (3) shall be renumbered as sub-rule (4) and before the sub-rule (4) so renumbered, the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely. "(3) Category 'A' vessels operating in Zone 2 and Zone 3 shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards and design specified in the Schedule or the requirements of classification society and designed, constructed and maintained under the survey of the designated authority or as may be delegated by the State Government under sub-section (4) of section 12 of the Act or classification society."; v. sub-rule (4) shall be renumbered as sub-rule (5) and before the sub-rule (5) so renumbered, the following sub- rule shall be inserted, namely. - "(4) Category 'B' vessels shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards and design specified in the Schedule or the requirements of classification society and designed, constructed and maintained under the survey of the designated authority or as may be delegated by the State Government under sub-section (4) of section 12 of the Act or classification society."; vi. sub-rule (4) shall be renumbered as sub-rule (5), namely. – "(5) Category 'C' vessels are those of length less than 10 meters, which shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards and design specified in the Schedule or the requirements of classification society and designed, constructed, and maintained under the survey of the designated authority or as may be delegated by the State Government under sub-section (4) of section 12 of the Act." vii. after sub-rule (5) so renumbered, the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely. "(6) For sub-rule (3) and (4), the owner may decide whether the vessel to be designed, constructed and maintained under the survey of the designated authority or the classification society." 4. In Rules 8, 9, 16, 33, 38, 40, 42, 47, 59, 70, 72, 78, 80, 81 and 97 of the said rules, after the words "requirements and standards specified in the Schedule” wherever they occur, the words "or the requirements of classification society" shall be inserted. 5. In sub-rule (3) of rule 18 of the said rules, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely.- "Provided that for vessels below 100 GT and operating in Zone 3, the sill height shall not be less than 50 mm.” 6. For sub-rule (1) of rule 52 of the said rules, the following shall be substituted, namely. "(1) Measures shall be taken to reduce machinery noise in machinery spaces to 90 decibels or lesser and if this noise cannot be sufficiently reduced, the source of the excessive noise shall be suitably insulated or isolated, or a refuge from noise in form of acoustic protection devices shall be provided, if the spaces are required to be manned." 7. After clause (e) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68 of the said rules, in clause (e), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely. "Provided that for vessels less than 300 GT, indicators may be permitted in lieu of remote controls." 8. For sub-rule (4) of rule 97 of the said rules, the following shall be inserted, namely. – "(4) In addition to the requirements specified in this rule, all crafts are to comply with the relevant standards specified in the Schedule and any other requirements as may be specified by the Designated Authority for lashing of vehicles." [F. No. IWT-11011/91/2021-IWT(1)] Dr. KAMALA KANTA NATH, Adviser (Statistics)

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