Inland Water Pollution Prohibited
60A. (1) No inland ship or a facility plying or operating in or around inland waterways shall be used without registration and sanitation facilities as may be prescribed and no inland ship activity shall be conducted to cause pollution of inland water.
(2) Every inland ship shall be granted yearly renewable pollution prevention certificate(s) by the surveyor after getting the application along with prescribed fee(s) from the owner or master of the inland ship.
(3) Every inland ship carrying more than 12 persons including passenger, master, officer and members of the crew of the inland ship, shall have potable water and sanitation system approved by the Department of Shipping. (4) The discharge of oily mixture and sewage into inland water is prohibited except when:
(a) the inland ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using a system approved by the Department of Shipping; or
(b) the inland ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or a retention tank of adequate capacity which has been certified by the Department of Shipping; or
(c) the discharging of sewerage, oil or oily mixture into inland water necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of a inland ship or saving life on board; or
(d) the discharge into inland water of oil, oily mixture or sewage resulting from damage to an inland ship or its equipment, provided that all reasonable precautions have been taken after the occurrence of the damage or discovery of the discharge for the purpose of preventing or minimising the discharge; or
(e) the discharge for the purpose of combating specific pollution incidents in order to minimize the damage from pollution, subject to the approval of the Department of Shipping.
Explanation.- In this section-
(a) “Pollution” means contamination or other alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of inland water, soil or air including change in their temperature, taste, odour, density, colour or any other characteristics of such water, soil or air including sound or noise level more than a prescribed limit or such discharge of any liquid, gaseous, solid substance, radio active or other substance including non biodegradable waste and sewage into such water, soil or air as it will, or is likely to create a nuisance or render such water, soil or air harmful, injurious, detrimental or disagreeable to public health, safety or welfare or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational or other bonafide uses or to livestock, wild animal, bird, fish, plant or other form of life; and
(b) “Sewage” means:
(i) drainage and other wastes from any form of toilets, urinals, and water commode scuppers;
(ii) drainage from medical premises (dispensary, sick bay, etc.) via wash basins, wash tubs and scuppers located in such premises;
(iii) drainage from spaces containing livening animals; or
(iv) other waste water when mixed with drainages defined above.
(5) Pollution prevention certificate(s) shall be obtained by the owner of the-
(a) existing inland ship within three years from;
(b) new inland ship immediate after;
the commencement of the Inland Shipping (Amendment) Act, 2005.
