In India, the Directorate General of Shipping has proposed make it mandatory in national ports handling at least 10 million tonnes per year and/or where there is a fleet of two or more tugs the designation of at least a tugboat dedicated to emergency interventions, with the goal of resolving the current state of vulnerability in the response to naval emergencies evidenced by serious accidents seafarers who have succeeded one another along the Indian coasts, including - recently - the sinking of the MSC Elsa 3 container ship last May and the serious fire and explosion on board the container holder Wan Hai 503 occurred in recent days that caused several containers to fall into the water and be released dangerous goods, resulting in a significant risk environmental.

The draft proposal, released for consultation with stakeholders which will end on 15 July, provides that the designated tug must be able to to navigate the open sea and be adequately equipped for the emergency operations, including firefighting operations, towing and pollution response.

The Directorate General explained that accidents such as fires, machinery breakdowns and groundings along the Indian coast, especially during the monsoon months, have shown the need for timely deployment of tugs for towing and other operations at the scene of the accident, in order to provide timely assistance to the Coast Guard and the Navy Indian. In addition, it was highlighted that the increase in Indian trade by sea has led to a increased ship traffic, higher volumes of cargo and greater risks to navigation along its extensive coastline and, despite the fact that growth, the availability of capacity to maritime rescue and towing in ports to deal with the emergency situations remains limited.

Currently, the Directorate General, in agreement with the Italian Regulatory Authority Mumbai Port Authority and the Chennai Port Authority, has positioned two tugs for maritime emergencies in each of the two ports. They are naval vehicles that are normally used as port tugs while, in case of emergency, the General Management orders that it be sent to the scene of the accident where are called upon to carry out operations in accordance with the instructions of the Indian Coast Guard.