DGMA Directs Indian Ports to Report Abandoned and Detained Vessels
India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) in Mumbai has directed all major ports, minor ports and state maritime boards to send consolidated details of “vessels of safety concern” in Indian ports and waters. The notice, dated 9 November 2026 and posted on the DGMA website on 10 November, covers ships along India’s entire coastline.
The reporting covers vessels that are abandoned or suspected to be abandoned, detained under Port State Control or by another authority, arrested by court order, laid up, stranded, grounded, drifting, unmanned or otherwise unable to operate safely. Ports must report such ships whether or not seafarers are still on board, and whether or not the ship has been formally declared abandoned.
From the CrewMirror Blog
For each vessel, ports are asked to give its particulars, location and status, owner, manager and agent details, the number of people on board (Indian or foreign), and welfare issues such as unpaid wages, provisions, medical aid and repatriation. Cargo, bunkers and any navigation, security or pollution risk must also be listed, along with the action taken so far.
The first consolidated return is due within 15 days, with a NIL return required where no such vessel exists. New cases posing a risk to life, navigation, security or the environment must be reported to DGMA immediately, with updates until resolved. The move follows DGMA’s own monthly report for September 2026, which listed 75 open abandonment cases involving 608 seafarers.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Crews stuck on abandoned, detained or arrested ships in Indian ports can raise wage, food, medical and repatriation problems with the port authority or state maritime board, which now has to pass these details to DGMA. Keeping written records of unpaid wages and shortages helps such cases move faster.
For more details, please follow this link on the official DGMA website.
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