Lok Sabha Question No. 2922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-05
Subject: Indian Passengers Travelling by Sea
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: Queen Oja, Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTTON  NO. 2922

TO BE ANSWERED  ON 5TII DECEMBER,  2019

## TNDIAN PASSENGERS  TRAVELLING  BY SEA

2922. SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA: DR, BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI  SHIYAL:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased to state: 'fr'd qftq-a{ ri*

- (a) the details  of the steps  being taken/ likely to b: l'l."n by the Government  to increase '-' in" nurn",  of lndian  passenlers  travelling by sea route;
- (b) the number  of lndian passengers  travelling  by sea route  during the last three  years; and
- (c) the details  of the stePs being taken by the Government  to check sea pollution?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT  C+IARGE)  FOR SHIPPING (SHRJ MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a)TheGovernmentoflndrahasdevelopedrnfrastructureforRo.Ro&Ro-Paxservices. includins dredsing ot "n"n'Lil'Ji'9;!n1-911^"1t tnd Ro-Ro ietties  and associated infrastructure  to facilitate  movement  of paisengers  in coastal States'
- (i) Cabotage  waived  till sth Feb' 2029 tor foreign  flag  passenger/cruise  ships  to call ' at morethan  one lndian Port'

Some of the important  steps taken  by the Government  to develop  cruise shipping  in lndia include  the following  :

- (ii)  Simplified  standard  operating  procedures have been  put in  place for handling cruise shiPs across  the country.
- (iv) Modernization  of cruise terminals  and  construction  of new cruise terminals
- (iii) New initiatives like e-visa  and e-landing  card have been introduced  by irnrnigration  department  for  quick immigration  clearance
- (v) Guaranteed  berths to cruise ships' along with attractive  concessions  in  port related charges'
- (vi) Biometrics oi  passengers exempted  in case of e-visa for 3  years for ease of travel.
- (b)Dataismaintainedonlyfortotalnumberofpassengerstravelledbysearouteandnot separately  for lndian  passengers'

(c)Thefol|owingRuleshavebeennotifiedbytheMinistry,inlinewith.thelrovisionsof lnternationalConventionon-preuentionofpollutionfromships(MARPoL)andthe p*i"ion" tf Merchant Shipping  Act' 1958, to deal with Marine Pollutlon:

- i. The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from.Ships)Rules  2009
- iii. The Merchant Snippin6 iContiof  of Pollution  by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk) Rules,  2010
- ii. The Merchant Snippini ipt"r"ntion  of Pollution  Uy Sewaele  f191 fnigs) Rules' 2010
- iv. The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Oil from Ships) Rules' 2010
- v. The Merchant snippini iprevention  of  pollution  by Harmful substances  canied  by Sea in  Packaged  form) Rules,2010'

All lndian  ships are periodically surveyed  and a certificate  issued for compliance  with the above Rules.

TopreventcontraventionoftheseRules,surpriseinspectionsareconductedby authorized Surveyors on lndian and Foreign Flag vessels through  powers granted under the Merchant shipping  Act, 1g5g.  penal provisions also exist under this Act for any contraventions.

A centralized  online  portal  called  "swachh sagal'  has been developed for request and provisioning  of waste  r""lption  facility. This  portal also monitors  whether end disposal of collected waste is in accordance with local laws'

Toreducepollutionofairbysulphuroxides,MARPoL,AnnexVl(PreventionofAir Pollution) has been amended  and it mandatesthat  from 1 January  2020 sulphur.  content of fuel used on board ship should not exceed 0.5olo mass/mass.  ln this regard, the Direclorate General of shipping has issued Engineering circular 02 oI 2019 implementing  the same on lndian  ships and foreign ships coming  to lndian  ports'