331. Carriage of dangerous goods.- (1) The Central Government may make rules for regulating in the interests of safety the carriage of dangerous goods in ships. (2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for the classification of such goods, the packing, marking and stowing of such goods or any class of goods and the fixing of the maximum quantity of any such class of goods which may be carried in different ships or classes of ships. (3) The owner, master or agent of a ship carrying or intending to carry any dangerous goods as cargo and about to make a voyage from a port in India shall furnish in advance the prescribed particulars of the ship and the cargo to such authority as may be prescribed for the purpose. (4) A surveyor may inspect the ship for the purpose of securing that any rules under this section are compile with. (5) If any of the rules made in pursuance of this section is not complied with in relation to any ship, the ship shall be deemed for the purpose of this Part to be an unsafe ship. (6) This section shall apply, in the same manner as it applies to Indian ships, to ships other than Indian ships while they are within any port in India or are embarking or disembarking passengers or are loading or discharging cargo or fuel within Indian jurisdiction. Explanation.- In this section the expression "dangerous goods" means goods which by reason for the nature, quantity or mode of stowage are either singly or collectively liable to endanger the life or the health of persons on or near the ship or to imperil the ship, and includes all substances within the meaning of the expression "explosive" as defined in the Indian Explosives Act, 1884 (4 of 1884), and any other goods which the Central Government may by notification in the Official Gazette specify as dangerous goods but shall not include any fog or distress signals or like equipment required to be carried by the ship under this Act or the rules or regulations thereunder. | 
