The government on Thursday gave its nod for accepting international regulations for the prevention of air pollution emanating from ships, as proposed under a 1997 protocol of the International Maritime Organisation.
“The Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval for accession to the 1997 Protocol adding Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution) to the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973/78 (MARPOL 73/78) of the International Maritime Organisation,” an official statement said.
The regulations, also known as MARPOL Annex VI ’Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from ships’, deals with air pollution emanating from ships, the statement further said.
According to the regulations, limits have been set on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship exhausts and deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances have been prohibited.
Moreover, annex-VI includes a global cap of 4.5 per cent m/m on the sulphur content of fuel oil and calls on the IMO to monitor the worldwide average sulphur content of fuel, the statement further said.
The convention, was revised in July, 2005, and it entered into force on July 1, 2010.
“India proposes to ratify the convention now,” the statement said, adding that it is a party to MARPOL 73/78 and has ratified Annexes I to V.
So far, the convention has been ratified by 53 countries, representing approximately 81.88 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world’s merchant shipping fleet, the statement said.
