NT WING CIRCULAR No.: 01 OF 2010

Sub: Vessels exempted from Long Range Identification Tracking (LRIT) when plying within the Port limits and River Sea vessels of 300 to 1600GT.

1. This notice is in continuation to our earlier notice NT Wing Circular No.4 of 2008 , No.1 of 2009 and No.2 of 2009 on the above subject, where in it was stated that all vessels above 300GT plying on the coast of India shall comply with the SOLAS Chapter - V Regulation 19-1 (LRIT).
2. The Directorate is in receipt of various representations from INSA, ship-owners, managers, operators to exempt vessels plying on the coast of India from the compliance of LRIT.
3. As per SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19-1 8.1.4 Quote �a Contracting Government shall not be entitled to receive, pursuant to subparagraph .3, such information about a ship located within the territorial sea of the Contracting Government whose flag the ship is entitled to fly.� Unquote
4. Accordingly, vessels operating within port limits and having exemption for the carriage of full GMDSS Radio equipments are not required to be fitted with LRIT equipment as required by circulars 01/2009 & 02/2009. As regard to security concerns about tracking these vessels, such vessels in any case are fitted with AIS and hence tracked by AIS receivers fitted in ports.
5. Accordingly, river sea vessels of GT greater than 300 and less than 1600 are not required to be fitted with LRIT equipment as required by circulars 01/2009 & 02/2009.
6. Vessels plying within the territorial waters are required to comply with LRIT requirement till such time the DGLL AIS chain of receivers on light houses would be able to track such vessels effectively anywhere on the coast.
7. This circular is subject to annual review or after commencement of AIS monitoring / functioning on coast of India.

This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping.

SD/-

(K.H. Mehta)

Sr. Radio Surveyor