Section 132
Definitions.
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
About this Act
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to merchant shipping to ensure compliance with India's obligation under the maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party and also to ensure the development of Indian shipping and efficient maintenance of Indian mercantile marine in a manner best suited to serve the national interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “harmful substance” means any substance or form of energy, which, if introduced into the sea or air, is liable to create hazards to human health, harm living resources and marine life, damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea or air and includes any substance subject to control by any of the conventions to which India is a party or such other substance as may be prescribed by the Central Government;
(b) “dumping” means any—
(i) deliberate disposal of waste water or other matter from vessels, ports, platform or other man-made structures at sea; or
(ii) deliberate disposal of vessels, structures of ports, platform or other man-made structures at sea, but does not include—
(i) the disposal of wastes or other matter incidental to, or derived from normal operations of vessels, platforms or other man-made structure at sea and their equipment, other than wastes or other matter transported by or to vessels, platforms or other man-made structures at sea, operating for the purpose of disposal of such matter or derived from the treatment of such wastes or other matter on such vessels, platform or structure; or
(ii) the placement of matter for a purpose other than the mere disposal thereof:
Provided that such placement is not contrary to the aims of the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972;
(c) “port” shall include port facility, shipyard, ship breaking yards, ship repair unit, offshore facilities and terminals;
(d) “vessel” means a vessel of any type, whatsoever, operating in the marine or aquatic environment and includes hydrofoil boats, air-cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft, floating platforms, floating storage units and floating production storage and off-loading units but does not include fixed platforms or other fixed man-made structures at sea for the purposes of dumping.
(a) “harmful substance” means any substance or form of energy, which, if introduced into the sea or air, is liable to create hazards to human health, harm living resources and marine life, damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea or air and includes any substance subject to control by any of the conventions to which India is a party or such other substance as may be prescribed by the Central Government;
(b) “dumping” means any—
(i) deliberate disposal of waste water or other matter from vessels, ports, platform or other man-made structures at sea; or
(ii) deliberate disposal of vessels, structures of ports, platform or other man-made structures at sea, but does not include—
(i) the disposal of wastes or other matter incidental to, or derived from normal operations of vessels, platforms or other man-made structure at sea and their equipment, other than wastes or other matter transported by or to vessels, platforms or other man-made structures at sea, operating for the purpose of disposal of such matter or derived from the treatment of such wastes or other matter on such vessels, platform or structure; or
(ii) the placement of matter for a purpose other than the mere disposal thereof:
Provided that such placement is not contrary to the aims of the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972;
(c) “port” shall include port facility, shipyard, ship breaking yards, ship repair unit, offshore facilities and terminals;
(d) “vessel” means a vessel of any type, whatsoever, operating in the marine or aquatic environment and includes hydrofoil boats, air-cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft, floating platforms, floating storage units and floating production storage and off-loading units but does not include fixed platforms or other fixed man-made structures at sea for the purposes of dumping.