The move by the Directorate General of Shipping to introduce river sea vessel rules may reduce construction cost of vessels, report suggest.

   Already some of the private shipyards have ventured into construction of river-sea vessels in the state. Ships capable of carrying 6,000 tonne of cargo can be built under these rules and this means lower cost of construction and operation.

   The development of river-sea container movement will need a number of floating assets to meet the requirement. This would lead to construction of more vessels. The construction of 2,000 tonne capacity river container vessels would throw open more job opportunities for engineers and designers.

   The new rules, aimed at boosting coastal shipping, facilitates lower cost of construction and operation.The rule is aimed at providing a standard for construction, safe operation and certification of river-sea vessels exclusively engaged in trade between nearby ports.

   Earlier, India was following Merchant Shipping (MS) Act, which have been adopted uniformly for the ships in the coastal and foreign going trades, for building and operating ships for coastal transportation. With the introduction of river-sea rules there will be significant reduction in construction cost by dispensing with requirements under regulations of the MS Act.