The Hindu Business Line : States' curbs on vessel movement affect inland waterways

EVEN while the Ministry of Shipping has initiated steps to develop inland waterways transportation, several State-level maritime boards are coming in the way of free movement of inland vessels from one State to another.

Industry sources say some of the State maritime boards are putting pressure on inland operators to restrict movement of their vessels in the State where these were registered, thus making it difficult for the operators to run their services freely on the inter-State waterways.

In the light of this, inland operators have urged the Shipping Ministry to suitably amend the Inland Vessels Act of 1917 to remove such restrictions in movement, especially as the existing three national waterways meander through six States.

Says Mr S.K. Shahi, Chairman of SKS (Ship) Ltd, a leading player in the coastal and inland waterways sector:

"Such restrictions are out of tune with the current climate of liberalisation, especially when minor ports are increasingly playing a more important role in maritime trade." In fact, the Maharashtra Maritime Board has of late taken a strict view of inland vessels registered in the State but plying in other States for a long period.

In one recent case, the MMB has pointed out that if vessels registered in Maharashtra were plying for more than one year in the inland waters of other State or vice-versa, then the vessel owners had to either obtain new registration or transfer the registration to the State where these are plying.

Pointing out that one of the vessels of SKS Ship had been plying in another State, the MMB had made it clear that "if any vessel like above (plying in another State), further survey and endorsement will not be carried out by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and it will also not be responsible in any such matter." Industry sources say that even the Goa Government has formulated a different set of rules under the provisions of IV Act, exercising similar restrictions.

"Freedom of employment of vessels and simplified surveying mechanisms anywhere within inland waters is a pre-requisite for the growth of this industry.

"The Government of Goa, in fact, insists on vessels registered in that State to return to Goa for updating the annual surveys and other statutory requirements," says an inland vessel operator. Adds Mr Shahi: "Some maritime States such as Karnataka do not have any inland vessels owned within the State.

"Hence, the needs of the minor ports of Karnataka have to be met by inland vessels from other states."

Inland operators feel that such restrictions should be lifted, as the three national waterways cover Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Further, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is considering declaring three more waterways as National Waterways — the first of these will pass through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the second will be entirely in Assam, but connected with Haldia and Kolkata ports and the third will pass through Orissa and West Bengal.

Inland water transportation accounts for 1.7 billion tonne km, or just 0.17 per cent of the total inland traffic in India, which is estimated at 1,000 billion tonne km.

Studies have shown that shift of one billion tonne km from roads to IWT will mean a saving of Rs 80 crore on account of fuel alone. In the light of these advantages and potential involved, IWT operators have sought suitable amendments to the IV Act to restore free movement of vessels from one State to another.

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