(1)Every ship shall be either-(a)periodically deratted; or(b)permanently kept in such a condition that the number of rodents on board is negligible.(2)No ship shall leave any port of India for any port outside India unless the master of such ship is in posession of a Deratting Certificate or a Deratting Exemption Certificate issued by the health authority for a port approved for that purpose under Article 17 of the International Sanitary Regulations. Every such certificate shall be valid for six months, but this period may be extended by one month for a ship proceeding to such a port if the deratting or inspection, as the case may be, would be facilitated by the operations due to take place there :Provided that the Health Officer may permit a ship to leave an Indian port not approved for the purpose of issuing a Deratting Certificate or Deratting Exemption Certificate, for another port in or outside India, notwithstanding that the master of the ship is not in possession of any such certificate.Note. - In India, the Health Officer for the ports of-(i)Bombay and Calcutta are approved for the purpose of issuing Deratting Certificates, and(ii)Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Cochin, Mormugao, Kandla, Visakhapatnam, Mandapam Camp/Dhanushhkodi and Mandapam Camp/Rameswaram are approved for the purpose of issuing Deratting Exemption Certificates.(3)Deratting Certificates and Deratting Exemption Certificates shall conform to the model specified in Appendix Ito these Rules.(4)If a valid certificate is not produced, the Health Officer for a port approved under Art. 17 of the International Sanitary Regulations, after enquiry and inspection, may proceed in the following manner(a)If the port is approved for the purpose of issuing Deratting Certificate, the Health Officer may derat the ship or cause the deratting to be done under his direction and control. He shall decide in each case the technique which should be employed to secure the extermination of rodents on the ship. Deratting shall be carried out so as to avoid as far as possible damage to the ship and to any cargo and shall not take longer than is absolutely necessary. Wherever possible deratting shall be done when the holds are empty. When deratting has been satisfactorily completed, the Health Officer shall issue a Deratting Certificate.(b)At any port approved for issuing Deratting Exemption Certificates only the Health Officer may issue such a certificate if he is satisfied that the number of rodents on board is negligible. Such a certificate shall be issued only if the inspection of the ship has been carried out when the holds are empty or when they contain only ballast or other material unattractive to rodents, of such a nature or so disposed as to make a through inspection of the holds possible. A Deratting Exemption Certificate may be issued for an oil-tanker with full holds.(5)If the conditions under which deratting is carried out are such that, in the opinion of the Health Officer for the port where the operation was performed, a satisfactory result cannot be obtained he shall made a note to that effect on the existing Deratting Certificate.(6)The fees chargeable for Deratting Certificates and Deratting Exemption Certificates at Indian ports shall be as fixed from time to time by the Central Government.
