2Definitions

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;

(k) "regulations" means regulations made by the Authority under this Act; and

(l) "rules" means rules made by the Central Government under this Act.