Recurrent boat tragedies in the Gangetic plains reflect a failure of regulation rather than an absence of law. Examine with reference to the Inland Vessels Act, 2021.

The Inland Vessels Act, 2021 replaced the century-old 1917 law [1]. Yet in 2021, boat capsizes killed 47 people in Bihar and 26 in Uttar Pradesh [3], and a capsize in Vaishali in October 2026 again claimed lives [4]. The problem lies mainly in weak regulation, along with gaps in how the law treats country boats.

What the law provides

• Motorised vessels need a certificate of survey and must be registered with a Registrar appointed by the State. Insurance is compulsory, and accidents must be reported to the police [2].
• Under Chapter XVII, States may notify minimum safety gear and prohibited stretches for rowed boats (s.94). They must set up a district welfare fund for subsidised safety equipment (s.96) [1].
• States may appoint emergency committees that can call on the navy and coast guard (s.99) [1].

Failure of regulation

• Unused discretion: the s.94 powers are "may" provisions. Where a State has not notified them, the police have nothing to enforce [1].
• Voluntary enrolment: owners of rowed boats "may" enrol (s.92) [1]. As a result, States have no full count of boats to inspect.
• Recurring pattern: Bihar recorded 74 boat-capsize cases in 2021 [3]. These are not one-off accidents, yet enforcement still follows disasters instead of preventing them.
• A global pattern: WHO notes that water transport is often unsafe because of substandard vessels and poorly enforced regulations [5].

Where the law itself falls short

• The survey, manning and insurance chapters apply only to mechanically propelled vessels (s.2) [1]. Hand-rowed ferries carrying passengers escape load-limit and crew-competence rules.
• State standards must be "in harmony with" traditional boat-building (s.94(2)) [1]. This protects livelihoods but can weaken minimum safety.

Way forward

• Notify safety gear and closed or night-time stretches under s.94. Use s.2(2) to apply the survey and crew rules to passenger-carrying rowed boats [1].
• Use the s.96 fund to provide subsidised life jackets and encourage enrolment through panchayat-level offices [1].
• Set up s.99 emergency teams before the monsoon [1]. Over time, provide all-weather roads and bridges to riverine villages.

Recurrent tragedies therefore come mainly from unused powers and weak enforcement, made worse by light-touch rules for country boats. Notifying existing provisions, encouraging enrolment and building safer connectivity can make the Act a preventive safeguard. This would uphold the right to life (Article 21) and support WHO's aim of cutting drowning deaths by 35% by 2035 [5].