Section 29 of The Indian Ports Act, 2025: Offences in connection with safety of vessels, etc.
About this Act
An Act to consolidate the law relating to ports, promote integrated port development, facilitate ease of doing business and ensure the optimum utilisation of India's coastline; establish and empower State Maritime Boards for effective management of ports other than major ports; establish the Maritime State Development Council for fostering structured growth and development of the port sector; provide for the management of pollution, disaster, emergencies, security, safety, navigation, and data at ports; ensure compliance with India's obligations under international instruments to which it is a party; take measures for the conservation of ports; provide for adjudicatory mechanisms for the redressal of port-related disputes; and address matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(a) loosen or remove from its moorings or from its fastenings any vessel in the port without leave or authority from the master or owner of such vessel; or
(b) lift, injure, make a vessel fast to, loosen or set adrift any moorings, buoys, beacons or sea or landmarks; or
(c) discharge any firearm in the port; or
(d) do or omit to do any act on board any vessel in the port which has caused or likely to cause fire; or
(e) use a vessel in the port which is in such a state that by reason of the defective condition of its hull, equipment or machinery, or by reason of under-manning or otherwise, the life of any person or the safety of any other vessel navigating in the port is likely to be endangered.
(2) No master of a vessel shall cause or suffer any warp or hawser attached to his vessel to be left out in any port in such a manner as to endanger the safety of any other vessel navigating in the port.
(3) No person shall grave, bream or smoke any vessel in the port, or boil or heat any pitch, tar, resin, dammar, turpentine oil or other such combustible matter on board any vessel within port limits, if such act is prohibited by the Government, or contrary to the orders or directions of the conservator.