India has decided to join the Nairobi International Convention on Removal of Wrecks and adopt international norms in shipping.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the path by approving amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, which proposes to enable a more purposeful approach towards removal of wrecks and salvage.
These amendments — which have become necessary consequent to India's accession of the Nairobi Convention — would seek to address problems arising from the increasing number of wrecks and remove discrepancies in the existing rules and regulations so as to bring them in line with developments in international shipping, maintained official sources.
Adopted by 64 countries, the convention lays out a firm jurisdictional basis for dealing with hazardous wrecks, apart from aiming at improving navigational safety and maritime security.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure approved the upgradation of a 600-km stretch of road in the Left Wing Extremism-affected region of Orissa at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,200 crore hoping to help the tribals to exploit their talent and potential.
