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1. The Indian Administration requires strict compliance with respect to implementation of Swachh Sagar Portal and Prohibition in respect of Single use plastics and have instructed their authorized Recognized Organizations to verify compliance to these requirements. Accordingly a brief detail in respect of requirements related to Swachh Sagar Portal and prohibition regarding single use plastics are being provided below for guidance to ship owners/ operators, Surveyors and other stake holders involved. 

2. Swachh Sagar Portal - Implementation by ship:

   Administration in order to facilitate ships and to help Indian ports create an efficient, effective and transparent port reception service delivery, has developed an on-line Centralized Port Reception Facility portal. The link of the portal is available on DGS Website, known as “Swachh Sagar”. 

   All ships visiting any Indian Port or anchorage are required to access the portal and give details of required data including inventory of ship generated waste onboard. This information and inventory is to be filled up irrespective of whether the ship intends to use port reception facility or not. If the ships are at anchorage, such details are to be filed up weekly. In case port reception facilities are required then same is to be preferably requested 24 hours or more prior arrival through this portal.

   When port reception facility is required, the portal will connect the captain/owner /manager /agent with all port approved vendors of arrival port to negotiate and fix a suitable vendor and date and time for disposal of ship generated waste. 

   In case the vessel is experiencing any issue such as problems faced with server, contractors not assigned by port or any other problem, a 24x7 helpline number is also available on the DGS Website to resolve these issues.

   The Administration has made mandatory for ports, ships and vendors to use the Swachh Sagar portal for requests related to disposal of waste concerning all Annexes of MARPOL and has advised that the above requirements be included in the ship’s SMS.

   Accordingly records in respect of Advance Notification Form (ANF) raised on Portal and that all waste are delivered ONLY after assignment of a Contractor through the portal
   will be verified during surveys/ audits onboard. For details kindly refer DGS Engineering Circular No. 06 of 2018.

3. Prohibition of Single Use Plastic (SUP): 

   Administration vide DGS Order No. 05 of 2019 and Addendum No. 1 to DGS Order No. 05 of 2019 has imposed a ban on single use plastic on all Indian ships in a phased manner. 

   Administration adopting a methodology of self-regulation has allowed ships to prepare their own ship specific “Ship Execution Plan (SEP)” containing a list of an inventory indicating all single use plastic used onboard as on 31 January 2020 for Cargo ships and 31 March 2020 for Passenger Ships.

   The SEP to have different timelines for identification, listing and prohibition of SUP. All ships are eventually required to reduce their single-use plastic items by 90%. This is to be achieved by a stepwise implementation of the prohibition based on ship type and each ship’s actual inventory of single-use plastic items.

   The details of execution methodology and schedule are provided in Addendum No. 1 to DGS Order 05 of 2019. 

   Accordingly ship owners/ operators are required to prepare a ship specific “Ship Execution Plan (SEP)” and incorporate the requirement of above DGS Order in the ship’s SMS. Same will be verified during surveys/ audits onboard.

4. Payment of Crew Wages:

   The seafarers are required to be paid wages as per Seafarers Employment Agreement, which is to be in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Foreign going / Home Trade / Coastal) registered within India [MSN 07/2020]. The monthly wage slips (signed by seafarer and Master) of all seafarers onboard are required to be maintained by the Master. Verification in respect of above will be carried out during MLC inspections to ensure that wages of all seafarer have been paid till the last running month.

5. Ship owners/ operators and Masters of Indian flagged ships are advised to be guided by the above.

6. Compliance to above stated requirements will be verified during ship’s periodical surveys/shipboard audits and also while processing any request for exemption /extension /dispensation.

Enclosure:

1. DGS Engineering Circular No. 06 of 2018

2. DGS Order No. 05 of 2019

3. Addendum No. 01 to DGS Order No. 05 of 2019

4. FAQ – DGS Order No. 05 of 2019

Disclaimer:

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.

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