Rajasthan Irrigation and Drainage Act, 1954
No: 21 Dated: Nov, 24 1954
The Rajasthan Irrigation and Drainage Act, 1954
Act No. 21 of 1954
An Act to regulate irrigation and drainage in the State of Rajasthan.
Be it enacted by the Rajasthan State Legislature as follows :-
1. Short title and extent. - (1) This Act may be called the Rajasthan Irrigation and Drainage Act, 1954.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Rajasthan.
2. Commencement. - It shall come into force on such date and in such areas as the State Government may by notification in the Official Gazette specify from time to time.
3. Interpretation. - (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(i) "Irrigation Officer" means an Officer appointed under this Act to exercise control or jurisdiction over an irrigation or drainage work or works;
"Superintending Irrigation Officer" means an officer appointed under this Act to exercise control over irrigation and drainage works in a circle constituted under section 4;
"Divisional Irrigation Officer" means an Officer appointed under this Act to exercise control over irrigation and drainage works in a division constituted under section 4;
"Sub-Divisional Irrigation Officer" means an Officer appointed under this Act to exercise control over all irrigation and drainage works in a sub-division constituted under section 4;
(ii) "Irrigation works" means a work or system of works, natural or artificial, not being a minor irrigation work as defined in section 2 of the Rajasthan Minor Irrigation Works Acts, 1953, and includes-
(a) any canal, channel, pipe or reservoir constructed, maintained or controlled by the State Government for the supply or storage of water,
(b) any work, embankment, structure or supply and escape-channel connected with such canal, channel, pipe or reservoir,
(c) any water course,
(d) any part of a river, stream, lake or natural collection of water or natural drainage channel to which the State Government applies the provisions of Part II of this Act;
(iii) "drainage work" includes escape-channels from a canal, dams, weirs, embankments, sluices, groins and other works for the protection of lands from flood or from erosion, but does not include works for the removal of sewage from towns;
(iv) "water course" means any channel, not constructed and maintained at the cost of State Government which is supplied with water from a canal, channel, pipe or reservoir and includes any subsidiary work belonging to such channel;
(v) "outlet" means an opening constructed in a canal through which water passes into a water course or directly on to any land.
4. Territorial divisions and appointment of officers. - (1) For the purposes of this Act-
(i) the territories of the whole State shall consist of such number of circles,
(ii) every circle shall consist of such number of divisions, and
(iii) each division shall consist of such number of subdivisions,
as the State Government may, from time to time, determine and notify in the [Official Gazette]; and all circles, divisions and sub-divisions existing on the date on which this Act comes into force shall be deemed to be circles, divisions and sub-divisions constituted and notified under this section.
(2) The State Government may, by notification in the [Official Gazette]
(a) create new, or abolish existing circles, divisions and sub- divisions, or
(b) define or alter the limits of any of them.
(3) The State Government may, from time to time, by notification in the [Official Gazette], appoint-
(i) an officer to exercise general control over all irrigation and drainage works throughout [the State of Rajasthan], and
(ii) such other officers as it considers necessary to exercise control over irrigation and drainage works in a circle or a division or a sub-division constituted under sub-section (1).
(4) The state Government may, from time to time, declare by notification in the [Official Gazette], the officers by whom and the local limits within which all or any of the powers or duties hereinafter conferred or imposed shall be exercised or performed.
(5) All officers mentioned in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 3 shall be respectively subject to the orders of such officers as the State Government from time to time directs.