Thursday, July 21, 2011


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 IMO

The Cabinet today 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 Organization.

'International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978' (MARPOL 73/78) deals with the pollution from ships. Annex-Vl to the convention deals with air pollution, which was adopted at a Conference in September 1997.

MARPOL Annex VI 'Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships' entered into force in May 2005 and has so far, been ratified by 53 countries, representing approximately 81.88 % of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant shipping fleet. India proposes to ratify the convention now.

These Regulations set limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship exhausts and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances. The annex includes a global cap of 4.5% m/m on the sulphur content of fuel oil and calls on IMO to monitor the worldwide average sulphur content of fuel. It also prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances, sets limits on emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) from diesel engines and prohibits the incineration onboard ship of certain products, such as contaminated packaging materials and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

The Annex-Vl was revised in July, 2005 and it entered into force on 1 July 2010. India is a party to MARPOL 73/78 and has ratified Annexes I to V.

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