Indian Customs Waters - R R Padmanabhan, Director - Exim Academy

Indian Customs Waters

Image Courtesy: quora.com

In this blog, I am exploring the extent of Indian waters in to the Sea.  Normally, in land, you will have signboards announcing the end of a particular place and the beginning of another place.  But such things are not available at sea. In the international law, a country’s sovereignty extends up to its Customs waters.

In terms of Section 2 (28) Customs Act, 1962,

Indian customs waters means the waters extending to the sea up to the limit of contagious zone of India under section 5 of the Territorial Waters, Continental shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime zones Act, 1976 and includes any bay, gulf, harbor, creek or tidal river.

The section 5 of the Territorial Waters, Continental shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime zones Act, 1976 defines the limit to 24 nautical miles 


In other words, Indian customs waters extend beyond the territorial waters by 12 nautical miles.  Indian territorial waters end with 12 nautical miles.  The customs waters extend beyond this limit by another 12 nautical miles.  A nautical mile is equivalent to 1.852 km.  Measurement of distance in sea is by nautical mile and in air it is avian miles.

The High sea sale transactions are to take place when the ship is beyond the Indian customs waters.  The significance of Indian customs waters limit is that if an offence is committed contrary to provisions of Indian customs act, the Government of India has the authority to intervene and bring the culprits to book even though they are not in within the territorial waters of India.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is an area that is 200 nautical miles from the shore.  The concept of EEZ permits nationals to explore resources in the sea bed adjacent to its land.

The distance between India and Sri Lanka at a particular place is only 18 nautical miles.  So, Customs waters of both countries conjoin by 6 nautical miles at this point. That is why you have incidents of Indian fishermen being caught by Sri Lankan authorities.

R R Padmanabhan

Director - Exim Academy

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