The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has proposed a mandate requiring all Indian ports that handle at least 10 million metric tonnes (mmt) of cargo annually and/ or operate a fleet of two or more tugs, to maintain at least one tug or towing vessel dedicated to emergency response. Under the draft, designated tugs must be ocean capable and equipped for firefighting, towing, pollution control, and other contingency operations.
This initiative comes following two maritime accidents off Kerala’s coast in 2025. The first one was the sinking of a container ship MSC ELSA 3 in May 2025 and another catastrophic fire/ explosion aboard WAN HAI 503 in June 2025. These accidents resulted in containers falling overboard, hazardous spills, and environmental threats.
Currently, India relies on two emergency towing vessels stationed at Mumbai and Chennai.