1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Inland Waterways Authority of
India Act, 1985.
(2) It shall come into force on such date1
as the Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “appurtenant land” means all lands appurtenant to a national waterway, whether demarcated
or not;
(b) “Authority” means the Inland Waterways Authority of India constituted under section 3;
(c) “channel” means any waterway, whether natural or artificial;
(d) “conservancy” includes dredging, training, closure, diversion or abandoning channels;
(e) “conservancy measures” means measures for purposes of conservancy, but does not include
measures for protection of banks against floods or for restricting banks which have become eroded
mainly on account of reasons not connected with shipping and navigation;
(f) “infrastructure” includes structures such as docks, wharves, jetties, landing stages, locks,
buoys, inland ports, cargo handling equipment, road and rail access and cargo storage spaces, and the
expression “infrastructural facilities” shall be construed accordingly;
(g) “member” means a member of the Authority appointed under sub-section (3) of section 3;
(h) “national waterway” means the inland waterway declared by section 2 of the National
Waterway (Allahabad-Haldia Stretch of the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River) Act,
1982 (49 of 1982), to be a national waterway.
Explanation.—If Parliament declares by law any other waterway to be a national waterway, then
from the date on which such declaration takes effect, such other waterway—
(i) shall be deemed also to be a national waterway within the meaning of this clause; and
(ii) the provisions of this Act shall, with necessary modifications (including modification for
construing any reference to the commencement of this Act as a reference to the date aforesaid),
apply to such national waterway;
(i) “navigable channel” means a channel navigable during the whole or a part of the year;
(j) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
1. 27th October, 1986, vide notification No. S.O. 763(E), dated 27th October, 1986, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II,
sec. 3(ii).
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(k) “regulations” means regulations made by the Authority under this Act; and
(l) “rules” means rules made by the Central Government under this Act.