Union Cabinet has approved the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace Inland Vessels Act, 1917.
Key Provisions of the bill
- As of now, total 4,000 km inland waterways have been operationalized.
- Bill will regulate safety, security and registration of inland vessels.
- Bill provides for a unified law for entire India instead of separate rules framed by each States.
- Bill grants certificate of registration which will be valid in all States and Union Territories. No separate permissions will be required from States.
- Bill provides for a central data base to record details of vessel, vessel registration and crew on an electronic portal.
- Central database would require all mechanically propelled vessels to be mandatorily registered.
- Non-mechanically propelled vessels will also require to be enrolled at district, taluk or panchayat or village level.
Inland Water Transport in India
India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways comprising of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. It is a fuel-efficient and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Under National Waterways Act 2016, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways.